The (Ir)relevance of the Crop Yield Gap Concept to Food Security in Developing Countries

The crop yield gap is defined as the difference between the yield potential and the average yield of a crop, in which the yield potential is the maximum yield achieved under optimal conditions with all stresses from nutrients, pests, and water controlled. Pointing to an observed diminishing growth in global rice and wheat yields, many studies have argued that the exploitable gap between potential and average yields is too narrow and shrinking and that this endangers food security. Such observations often lead to the claim that increasing the yield potential is the best strategy we have to combat food insecurity and that the growth in yield potential should at least keep pace with the growth in population to avert hunger.