Agrarian Development in West Africa: Possibilities for Institutional Reform?

Institutions should not be viewed with simplistic qualifications of “good” and “poor.” Instead, careful attention is needed to where institutions come from and how they change. This includes reflecting on our own viewpoints and a need to shift our focus from a snapshot picture to a dynamic and “bottom-up” one. Douglas’ fourfold institutional ordering is useful here. Institutions are on the move, so what transformations can we expect? We highlight some promising directions. There is a need to create more space for, and to pay careful attention to, this kind of local institutional experimentation.