Unveiling the determinants and welfare implications of smallholder maize commercialisation in Africa: a review and future research directions

This study synthesises empirical evidence on the determinants and welfare implications of smallholder maize commercialisation in Africa, where maize serves as both a staple food and a source of income. Despite extensive research, existing evidence remains fragmented across countries, methodologies and conceptualisations, particularly regarding its multi-dimensional nature and welfare outcomes. This study investigates the factors influencing smallholder maize commercialisation across the dimensions of market participation, commercialisation intensity,and depth of market engagement, and examines how these forms of market integration affect household welfare. Following the PRISMA guidelines and employing the Search, Appraisal, Analysis and Synthesis (SAAS) framework, the study employed a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of 49 peer-reviewed publications from Scopus and Web of Science covering the period 1997–2025. Bibliometric techniques examined publication trends and thematic structures, while thematic synthesis integrated empirical findings. The present review unveils that maize commercialisation is shaped by asset endowments, transaction costs, institutional access and policy conditions. Also, market participation is influenced by household characteristics and market access, while commercialisation intensity and depth depend on surplus production, transaction costs and coordination mechanisms. Welfare outcomes vary across households, with deeper market integration associated with stronger income gains but persistent inequalities.