Climate change, the internet and the cotton yield gap between African countries and the rest of the world

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of climate change and internet access on cotton yield disparities between African nations and other cotton-producing countries from 1995 to 2019. Utilizing econometric analysis based on a decomposition model, the findings reveal that African countries underperform relative to their counterparts in cotton yields. The study suggests that mitigating temperature variability, expanding internet access, and enhancing education, financial liberalization, and labor market flexibility, have the potential to reduce this yield gap. However, rising temperatures exacerbate the disparity and hinder progress in closing the yield gap.