Ex-ante Evaluation of Research and Technology Options for Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

Abstract

A panel of experts reviewing the CGIAR Research Program Proposal on Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals (GLDC) recommended that the participating centers set research priorities based on rigorous yield gap analyses, ex ante impact analyses and return on investment projections benchmarked against past results. This brief presents the methods and results of an ex ante evaluation of research and technology options for grain legumes (cowpea, chickpea, lentil, groundnut, pigeonpea and soybean) and dryland cereals (sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet) in the drylands of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The projected impacts of the different lines of research are measured in terms of the present value of net economic benefits (NPV), internal rates of return (IRR), and benefit-cost ratios (BCR). In an effort to guide priority setting, the research and technology options are ranked by mega-environment (ME), based on the BCR as a measure of the net economic benefits per unit of investment.