Relevance of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Sustaining Agriculture Under Smallholder Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 37-55
Author(s):  
Simeon Albert Materechera
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan

Interfacing Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Access to Healthcare in SADC through the Millennium Development Goals

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amos Saurombe
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Millennium Development Goals ◽  
Access To Healthcare ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Poor Countries ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sub Saharan

There are eight health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the mandate of which is to ensure access to affordable healthcare for poor countries, especially in Africa. These MDGs were supposed to be reached by 2015, but six years have now passed with little success being realised. The cost of affordable medicines remains the main predicament for poor African countries. The focus of this paper is limited to the poor countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a part of sub-Saharan Africa. I have previously written on other measures that have been employed to improve access to medicine, for example pooled procurement used by a number of SADC countries. Unfortunately the vast rural nature of SADC member states makes it prohibitively impossible to reach every citizen, let alone convince them of the usefulness of Western healthcare. A number of scholars have written about southern Africa’s riches in the area of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) that directly relate to healthcare. It is thus the objective of this paper to argue that both efforts of using IKS and the modern healthcare system can complement each other in the quest for the realisation of better healthcare and quality of life for the citizens of southern Africa. This paper starts with a motivation to indicate why IKS and access to healthcare are related. An analysis of the eight related MDGs follows as a way of measuring how far these have been realised post the anticipated date in 2015. In this analysis, it is critical to unearth how IKS can be used in the realisation of solutions to these shortcomings.

scholarly journals Selective exclusion: the digital divide in the context of indigenous knowledge systems in South Africa

2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Lotriet ◽  
M. Matthee ◽  
F. Mazanderani
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Alternative Systems ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan

This article provides an alternative view to questions of technological inclusion and exclusion in sub-Saharan Africa via an analysis of the South African governmental discourse on indigenous knowledge systems (IKS). The concept of 'selective exclusion' (SE) is developed in relation to the digital divide, highlighting that technology is not always perceived as neutral or universally beneficial, but rather is negotiated in relation to specific socio-political contexts and alternative systems of knowledge. The concept of SE highlights the following: (a) 'Western' rationality and technology can be perceived as threats to indigenous identity and knowledge and as a result treated circumspectly; (b) nevertheless the 'Western' domain is seen as promising economic benefits, which need to be accessed; (c) therefore, the 'Western' domain and its associated technologies are selectively excluded; (d) the existence of a digital divide is not necessarily seen as negative as it offers protection against globalisation; and (e) the agency of indigenous individuals and communities is considered central and the ability to appropriate technology in relation to this is stressed.

Colonizing Innovation:

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhinav CHATURVEDI ◽  
Alf REHN
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Postcolonial Theory ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Frugal Innovation ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Management Literature

Innovation is one of the most popular concepts and desired phenomena of contemporary Western capitalism. As such, there is a perennial drive to capture said phenomena, and particularly to find new ways to incite and drive the same. In this text, we analyze one specific tactic through which this is done, namely by the culturally colonial appropriation of indigenous knowledge systems. By looking to how jugaad, a system   of   frugal   innovation   in   India,   has been   made   into   fodder   for   Western management literature, we argue for the need of a more developed innovation critique, e.g., by looking to postcolonial theory.

Indigenous Environmental Justice, Knowledge, and Law

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah McGregor
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Justice ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Indigenous Worldviews ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
The World ◽  
Innovative Approaches

This article aims to introduce a distinct conception of Indigenous environmental justice (IEJ) based on Indigenous legal orders, knowledge systems, and conceptions of justice. This is not to suggest in any way that the existing environmental justice (EJ) scholarship is flawed; in fact, the scholarship and activism around EJ have been central in diagnosing and drawing attention to injustices that occur on a systematic basis everywhere in the world. This article argues instead that such discussions can be expanded by acknowledging that concepts of environmental justice, including distinct legal orders informed by Indigenous knowledge systems, already existed on Turtle Island for thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans. It also suggests that environmental justice framed within Indigenous worldviews, ontologies, and epistemologies may make significant contributions to broader EJ scholarship, particularly in relation to extending justice to other beings and entities in Creation. This approach acknowledges ongoing colonialism and emphasizes the need to decolonize in order to advance innovative approaches to IEJ. 

scholarly journals Precision Agriculture for Resource Use Efficiency in Smallholder Farming Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1158
Author(s):  
Cecilia M. Onyango ◽  
Justine M. Nyaga ◽  
Johanna Wetterlind ◽  
Mats Söderström ◽  
Kristin Piikki
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Sub Saharan

Opportunities exist for adoption of precision agriculture technologies in all parts of the world. The form of precision agriculture may vary from region to region depending on technologies available, knowledge levels and mindsets. The current review examined research articles in the English language on precision agriculture practices for increased productivity among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 7715 articles were retrieved and after screening 128 were reviewed. The results indicate that a number of precision agriculture technologies have been tested under SSA conditions and show promising results. The most promising precision agriculture technologies identified were the use of soil and plant sensors for nutrient and water management, as well as use of satellite imagery, GIS and crop-soil simulation models for site-specific management. These technologies have been shown to be crucial in attainment of appropriate management strategies in terms of efficiency and effectiveness of resource use in SSA. These technologies are important in supporting sustainable agricultural development. Most of these technologies are, however, at the experimental stage, with only South Africa having applied them mainly in large-scale commercial farms. It is concluded that increased precision in input and management practices among SSA smallholder farmers can significantly improve productivity even without extra use of inputs.

scholarly journals Knowledge systems in health in sub-Saharan Africa: results of a questionnaire-based survey

2014 ◽  
Vol 107 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 22-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Zielinski ◽  
Derege Kebede ◽  
Peter Ebongue Mbondji ◽  
Issa Sanou ◽  
Wenceslas Kouvividila ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan
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