Boserup versus Malthus revisited: Evolution of farming systems in northern Côte d’Ivoire

In the literature on the evolution of farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, the theses of Malthus and Boserup seem to offer contrasting views on rural development. The purpose of the present study is to revisit these theses and empirically examine them through a case study of northern Côte d’Ivoire. We surveyed a sample of farms in four villages in the Dikodougou region during three agricultural seasons. The villages mainly differ regarding their population density and historical genesis. Comparative analysis of the villages and farm types identifies population pressure as a key factor of the evolution of farming systems in this region. Our empirical analysis shows that Boserupian and Malthusian processes coexist, rather than contrast. Through mechanisation and intensification, Boserupian innovation has been largely able to compensate for the Malthusian repercussions of increasing population pressure. However, in a first stage demographic pressure engenders migration, i.e. Malthusian population control, rather than Boserupian mechanisms of induced innovation, which seem to be unleashed after a critical population density is attained.