Overview

Despite the importance of peanuts within the countries and cultures of West Africa, little research has been undertaken to understand the socioeconomic underpinnings of peanut production. The previous socioeconomic research that has been conducted has focused on the demand side – consumption and utilization (see, for example,Singh, et al., 1985 Solomon and Wheelock, 1985). The supply side, along with all the behavior implicit in the parameters of the supply function, has been neglected. As a result, crucial information which should inform national policies on peanut production and trade and related issues involving input usage, gender, environmental degradation, and poverty and hunger alleviation is virtually non-existent. This lack of information is especially worrisome during periods of severe economic shocks such as those caused by attempts to stabilize, and then restructure, economies within the region.