When asked to think about corn or maize, most people in the United States immediately think of food like corn on the cob or sweet corn. However, according to the WCGA, Maize has over 3,500 uses and can be used in almost everything from food products and biofuels to industrial goods like adhesives and cosmetics. Maize is in the majority of food products around the world and its popularity continues to grow to this day.
The topic question for this timeline is: Why did maize spread to East Africa, and what were the environmental and economic reasons that made it such a predominant crop? This examines the reasoning behind maize becoming such a predominant crop and cuisine, as well as how it traveled to East Africa. I believe there are 2 distinct reasons and perspectives on why Maize became so popular in this region. First, being the economic perspective. Maize is one of the cheapest crops to harvest and produce while still being nutritious and healthy. This is important in East Africa because this is one of the poorest regions in the world, with a very high percentage of the population not having freedom in the choice of foods and being restricted to the cheapest options. The second perspective I discuss is the environmental perspective. This is important because Maize grows in such an efficient and high-yielding way in East Africa in comparison to the rest of the world. A combination of the perfect climate near the equator, as well as very fertile soil, allowed maize to be easy to grow and even cheaper, making it more and more popular in East Africa.
I have a personal connection to this topic as a result of growing up in Kampala, Uganda. From a young age I witnessed the strong role maize plays in Ugandan cuisine, specifically through the popular food called Posho, which is a corn based mash commonly eaten with beans. Traveling to other countries in East Africa, I witnessed many similar versions of Posho with different names and slightly different forms. The only thing that didn’t change was the reliance on these foods as they were eaten multiple times daily in schools and sold nearly everywhere in stores and on the streets. I have seen firsthand the role that maize plays in East African culture which is why I specifically chose this topic to learn more.
Corn has traveled across continents through trade and migration to become a staple food product in East African agriculture and cuisine. Maize was not just adopted but actively integrated into East African societies because of political and economic reasons. This history is significant because it shows the patterns of agricultural globalization, the impacts of colonialism on food systems, and the ways crops shape economy and culture. Throughout this timeline, I use information from six different academic sources written by credible authors. The one used most frequently was written by Busungu Constantine, a historian who mainly discusses African agricultural and economic history. Busungu and the other authors in the sources used throughout this timeline are experts in their fields, which contributes to making my information reliable.
Sources:
“Annual Report of the Colonies, Kenya, 1920–21.” London: His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1922. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Digital Library,
https://libsysdigi.library.illinois.edu/ilharvest/Africana/Books2011-05/5530244/5530244_1920_1921/5530244_1920_1921_opt.pdf.
Bitama, Pierre Claver, et al. “Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Adoption of Hybrid Maize in Mbuye, Burundi.” East African Journal of Agriculture & Biotechnology, vol. 7, no. 2, 2024, pp. 110–25. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajab.7.2.2334.
Busungu, Constantine. “From Ancient Domestication to Modern Agriculture: The Journey of Maize Cultivation in Tanzania, Its Implications for Food Security, Challenges and Resilience Strategies.” Bio-Research, vol. 22, no. 3, Sept. 2024, pp. 2542–62. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.4314/br.v22i3.13.
Cook, Benjamin I., et al. “Investigating the Strength and Variability of El Niño–Southern Oscillation Teleconnections to Hydroclimate and Maize Yields in Southern and East Africa.” Journal of Hydrometeorology, vol. 25, no. 1, Jan. 2024, pp. 257–75. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-23-0098.1.
Mosisa, Waktole, et al. “Response of Maize (Zea Mays L.) Varieties to Rates of Mineral Nitrogen Fertilizer Application in Haramaya District, Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia.” East African Journal of Sciences, vol. 17, no. 1, Jan. 2023, pp. 1–17. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=7cc7172f-053c-3a9c-ae49-449b48757f2d.
Tesfamicheal, Wossen, et al. “Drivers of Transformation of the Maize Sector in Nigeria.” Global Food Security, vol. 38, 2023, 100713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2023.100713.
“Corn Fun Facts | Wisconsin Corn (WCGA).” Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, https://wicorn.org/resources/corn-facts/. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.