PhD thesis: 'Perspectives for agriculture in Togo'

Since many years researchers of the Centre for Development Studies of the University of Groningen cooperate with researchers from West-Africa in the area of food safety. Several African researchers completed their PhD degree at the University of Groningen .

Kokou Koumagli Djagni is the first PhD student from Togo . He studied the possibilities to improve agriculture in his country. Djagni researched the cotton cultivation in the Région des Savanes (northern Togo ), based on statistical data, interviews and questionnaires. He hopes that his thesis will be used for political decision-makers to improve food production and increase the income of farmers.

In the 1980’s the government in Togo made the decision to privatize the agricultural sector. Djagni, however, concludes that the monopoly of government-associated cotton organization SOTOCO is maintained. The government seems to take little action to look after the interests of small farmers. In the name of privatization, income of small farmers was decreased, in stead of increased.

The farmers’ perspectives are not promising. This is in part due to the monopoly of the national government, but also to the imbalanced competition of the industrialized countries trading cotton with the help of state funding. Despite the limited profits of cotton cultivation, farmers still do not change to the cultivation of other crops to improve food production. Djagni thoroughly analysed the causes farmers do not change and formulates recommendations for the position of agriculture in his country, such as the needed improvement of the infrastructure in Togo .

Curriculum vitae
Kokou Koumagli Djagni ( Togo , 1960) completed his degree as an agricultural engineer at the "Université de  Lomé" , Togo , and his further studies in rural economy at the "Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique" in Montpellier , France . For years he was employed as senior researcher at the national research institute "Institut Togolais de Recherche Agronomique" and is currently working at the " International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development IFDC" in Cotonou , Bénin.

Djagni will be awarded his PhD in Management & Organization on 8 February (4.15 pm). His supervisor is prof.dr. C. Schweigman. The thesis title is: Capacité d'ajustement des exploitatations agricoles aux processus de liberalisation de la filière cotonniere au Togo. Djagni received a grant from the RUG Fellowship Programme.