Agroecological and Socioeconomic Determinants of Maize Yield Gaps in Liberalized Agricultural Systems: A Systematic Review

Protus Wafula Barasa, Peter Gutwa Oino & Dennis Mamboleo
School of Arts and Social Sciences
Kisii University
Email: protus.wafulabarasa@gmail.com

Abstract: Maize yield gaps remain a persistent challenge in liberalized agricultural systems despite extensive policy reforms aimed at improving productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions. This study systematically synthesizes global evidence on the agroecological and socioeconomic determinants of maize yield gaps, with particular attention to smallholder farming systems in Kenya as an illustrative context. Guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework, a systematic review of 212 peer-reviewed and grey literature sources published between 2010 and 2025 was conducted. Data were retrieved from major databases including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, AGORA, CGIAR, IFPRI, and CIMMYT. Studies were screened, extracted, and thematically analyzed using NVivo, with strong inter-coder reliability (Cohen’s Kappa = 0.88). The analysis draws on Human Ecology, Economic Anthropology, Economic Geography, Agroecology, Political Economy, and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. Findings show that maize yield gaps are not primarily driven by agronomic factors alone but are structurally shaped by interactions between ecological conditions and socioeconomic and institutional arrangements. In liberalized systems, weak extension services, fragmented input markets, insecure land tenure, and unequal access to credit significantly constrain smallholder productivity. Comparative evidence indicates that Asia and Latin America achieved more stable outcomes where liberalization was embedded within strong institutions, cooperatives, and public investment. In contrast, Sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya, exhibits persistent yield gaps linked to institutional fragmentation and spatial inequality. The review concludes that yield gaps emerge from complex agroecological and socioeconomic interactions and require integrated responses combining agroecological intensification, institutional strengthening, cooperative revitalization, and equitable resource access.