Geospatial Analysis
of Cotton Production Potential
in Sub-Saharan Africa*
Arthur Green1 and
Kai Bucher2
1McGill
University
Department of Geography
805 Sherbrooke St. W.
– Montreal, Quebec
Canada
H3A 2K6
Email: arthur.green (at)
mcgill.ca
2International Food
& Agricultural Trade Policy Council (IPC)
1616 P Street, NW
Washington DC - 20036
USA
Email: bucher
(at ) agritrade.org
*Paper presented at Intercarto 12: International Conference on
GIS and Sustainable Development. 29 August 2006. Berlin, Germany.
<http://www.intercarto12.net>
Abstract:
This
study
applies a geospatial analytic approach to assess human, economic and
physical
constraints to cotton production potential in Mali,
Burkina Faso and Benin.
A
Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to create a cost grid
reflecting an
integrated, geographic model of cotton production potential including a
theoretically diverse set of parameters. Parameters include
infrastructure,
socio-political, demographic, agronomic, and novel geographic
parameters among
others. The GIS model uses geostatistics and cost grid functions to
explore and
expand upon existing datasets. The study results in a visual
representation of
cotton production potential.