CHALLENGES AND LESSONS WHEN USING FARMER KNOWLEDGE IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN AFRICA

2009 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. A. VAN ASTEN ◽  
S. KAARIA ◽  
A. M. FERMONT ◽  
R. J. DELVE
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Farmer Knowledge ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Local Adaptations ◽  
Farmer Participatory Research ◽  
Agricultural Research And Development ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Environmentally Sound

SUMMARYFarmer participatory research (FPR) approaches are now considered mainstream and are especially applicable for developing appropriate technology options in complex, diverse and risk-prone regions, where local adaptations are crucial. Although the advantages of using farmer knowledge to guide scientific research are numerous and well documented, the challenges and potential pitfalls that befall biophysical researchers, in particular, when using FPR approaches have received much less attention, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Our experiences show that in certain cases, the methods used to collect farmer knowledge are flawed, leading to inaccurate or incomplete information being gathered. This potentially leads to the development and promotion of unsustainable, unprofitable or socially unacceptable technologies. This paper uses a series of examples to illustrate that discrepancies between farmer and researcher observations may occur because (i) farmers and scientists may not have sufficient insight into the systems complexity, (ii) farmers and scientists use different reference frameworks, and (iii) methodological errors may lead to farmers intentionally or unintentionally providing false or ‘desired’ information to achieve (short-term) benefits. This paper concludes by providing guidelines to improve the integration of farmer and scientific knowledge in order to develop appropriate technology options that are both environmentally sound and adaptable to local conditions.

scholarly journals Promoting Agricultural Research and Development to Strengthen Food Security in South Asia

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghose Bishwajit
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Agricultural Education ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Security Issues ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Agricultural Research And Development ◽  
Sub Saharan

This study aims to highlight the status of agricultural R&D in South Asia and contends that creating an effective agricultural research and innovation systems is a vital element to ensure food security in this region. South Asia is home to around one-fourth of mankind and houses the largest proportion of undernourished people in the world. Despite a period of marked economic growth averaging 6% a year over the past two decades, it remains the world's second poorest region contributing a mere 2.2% in global annual GDP. Agriculture is the mainstay of South Asian economy employing around 60% of the total workforce and generating around 20% of total GDP. South Asia has the recognition of being the second most food-insecure region next only to sub-Saharan Africa. Though there is growing evidence that technological innovation has a key role to play in increasing agricultural production and strengthening food security, agricultural research and development (R&D) sector has failed to garner sufficient attention till now. This study also depicts the current situation of food security in South Asia and illustrates how agricultural education and innovation hold the master key to solve the food security issues for the world's most densely populated region.

Technical constraints to ruminant livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa

1993 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 13-24
Author(s):  
R. R. von Kaufmann ◽  
H. A. Fitzhugh
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Ecological Zone ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Research Centres

AbstractConstraints do not only occur in production systems. They also limit the support available from research and extension and they have serious consequences for human welfare in Africa and for the whole community of nations.The agricultural research agendas in sub-Saharan Africa are indicating more concern for appropriate technology and interest in collaboration but support for research is declining when it is most urgently needed. Food production in sub-Saharan Africa is not keeping pace with demand and this is a cause of instability that will constrain all other attempts at development.The effect of the constraints is most evident on the deteriorating environment which is evident in each agro-ecological zone despite the different potentials and pressures. Animal productivity is low but has the potential for substantial improvement. Misconceptions and a lack of faith in the potential for improvement are themselves constraints in the sense that they discourage donor support for research to alleviate the real problems. Opportunities for improvement have been identified in each agro-ecological zone.There are three major categories of research institutions: national agricultural research systems, international agricultural research centres and developed country research centres. Each has its own comparative advantages and a vital rôle to play in collaboration with the others. With the limitation in research resources there is an urgent need to develop appropriate research methods and techniques that can be applied sufficiently to have impact across the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. These are particularly required in regard to food production. Research opportunities are identified in plant genotypes, animal health, animal genotypes and extension and input supply.

scholarly journals Participatory potato seed production: a breakthrough for food security and income generation in the central highlands of Ethiopia

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abebe Chindi ◽  
Egata Shunka ◽  
Atsede Solomon ◽  
W. Giorgis Gebremedhin ◽  
Ebrahim Seid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Potato Seed ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Potato Varieties ◽  
Production Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan

AbstractQuality seed is one of the major bottlenecks hampering the production and productivity of potato not only in Ethiopia but also in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the 1970’s, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research has generated a number of improved potato production technologies such as improved varieties with accompanying agronomic practices, crop protection measures, postharvest handling techniques and utilization options. The developed technologies were promoted from 2013-2015 via technology promotion and popularization to the Wolmera, Adea-Bera and Ejere districts with the objective of creating awareness and up scaling of improved potato production and utilization technologies. The Potato Improvement Research Program and the Research and Extension Division of Holetta Research Center in collaboration with extension staff of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) undertake this activity. The farmers were selected and organized in Farmer Field Schools and all stakeholders were engaged before distributing potato seeds and planting on selected farmers’ fields for demonstrating of potato production technologies. A total of 899 farmers and 40 agricultural experts were trained and 27.7, 9 and 5.5 tons of quality seeds of Gudanie, Jalenie and Belete potato varieties, respectively, were delivered as a revolving seed with their recommended agronomic packages; this amount of seed covered 21.1 ha. A total of 16 farmer groups from Wolmera, 7 from Adea-Berga, and 11 from Ejere participated. They produced over 434 tons of relatively clean seed and constructed 8 diffused light stores. In addition to the demonstration of improved potato varieties, information dissemination was also an important component of the program to raise awareness for a large numbers of potato growers through farmers’ field days, pamphlets, and mass media. Each year about three field days were organized and more than 1500 pamphlets were distributed to farmers invited from neighboring districts and ‘Kebeles’ to enhance speed. Through this intervention farmers are now harvesting a yield of about 26-34 t/ha up from 8t/ha when they were using inferior quality potato seed; this has made the farmers in the intervention area more food secure especially during the usually food scarce months of August to October when cereal crops are generally yet to mature. The farmers are also getting additional income from the sale of excess potato and are able to better meet other necessary costs like school fees, for their children.

Water treatment and supply: intermediate education in Sub-Saharan Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 578-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Byars ◽  
B. Antizar-Ladislao
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Experimental Learning ◽  
Treatment Technologies ◽  
Technical Expert ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Water Supply And Treatment ◽  
Water Provision

In 1973 the economist E.F Schumacher wrote ‘Small is Beautiful’. In this he created the vision of a concept known as ‘intermediate technology’. Directly from this grew the popular ‘appropriate technology’ movement. An appropriate technology, in the ideal sense, is designed with special consideration of the environmental, ethical, cultural, social, political, and economical aspects of the community it is intended for. The term ‘appropriate technology’ is continually used when referring to water supply and treatment technologies in international development. The widespread provision of hand-pumps in Africa by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) fully characterises the approach and remains the most prominent display of technologies, transferred on a charitable basis, between the developed and developing countries. However, after years of NGOs working with hand-pumps in Africa the first signs are showing that there are widespread problems with the current approach. In many cases the nature of ‘appropriateness’ is determined from the perspective of an external technical expert and not by the communities themselves. The lack of appropriateness is leading to severely unsustainable projects. This paper explores the linkage that has not been clearly mapped in technology transfer, i.e., the use of scientific and technical education. The focus of the transfer is on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate ‘appropriateness’ from the perspective of the end user. It explores the concept of ‘Intermediate Education’ – a method of using experimental learning to address a systemic weakness in safe water provision in development.

Study Abroad Experiences in the Developing World: Opportunities and Challenges

2011 ◽  
Vol 1320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. LeSar ◽  
Kenneth M. Bryden
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
State University ◽  
Sustainable Engineering ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
The People ◽  
Materials Science And Engineering ◽  
Sub Saharan

ABSTRACTOver the past three years the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University have conducted a study-abroad course for ISU undergraduates in a small, isolated, village in the country of Mali, in western, sub-Saharan Africa. Most, if not all, of the people in the village live under conditions that the World Bank refers to as extreme poverty. The focus of the course is on the development of sustainable technologies that are appropriate for the people in this village and villages similar to it. Our goal is to offer students a chance to develop such technologies, in the end changing how they view engineering and their role as engineers. One of the challenges of the course is how to integrate this high value off-campus experience into the on-campus curriculum. To do this we have linked two on-campus sustainable engineering courses (sustainable engineering systems and appropriate technology design) with this study abroad course. In this paper, we discuss the course in more detail, with a focus on an assessment of how well we are meeting our objectives. We shall also discuss the challenges of holding such a course and will offer some advice for those who may wish to venture along the same path.

scholarly journals Metal Accumulation Properties of Eight Traditionally Utilized Nutritional Plants and Their Potential as Suitable Crops for Cultivation on Acidic Soils of the Northern Province Uíge, Angola

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 792
Author(s):  
Christin Baumgärtel ◽  
Thea Lautenschläger ◽  
Mazekana H. G. Panzo ◽  
Francisco Afonso ◽  
Christoph Neinhuis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Tissue ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Acidic Soils ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Metal Contents ◽  
High Metal ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Local Plants ◽  
Child Mortality Rate ◽  
Growing Conditions

High metal contents of acidic soils from sub-Saharan Africa often prevent the cultivation of crops and lead to a low livestock yield. The carbohydrate rich diet of the Angolan population is low in minerals and vitamins, resulting in various deficiency syndromes and a high child mortality rate. Eight traditionally utilized plants (Anisophyllea quangensis, Annona stenophylla subsp. cuneata, Canarium schweinfurthii, Eugenia malangensis, Landolphia lanceolata, Raphionacme madiensis, Tristemma mauritianum, Vitex madiensis subsp. madiensis) with nutritional value for the Angolan population were analyzed for their soil and growing conditions. The species are adapted to the local conditions and can serve as crops for the unfavorable soils of the province Uíge. Chemical and physical characteristics of the uppermost soil (0–5 cm) and in 30 cm depth were analyzed. The plant-available macro-and micronutrients were determined using Mehlich 3 extraction. Data are completed with leaf tissue analyses, examining the uptake of minerals. As aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) are plant-available in high amounts, local plants evolved mechanisms dealing with those metals. These Al accumulators with foliar contents above 1000 mg/kg are Anisophyllea quangensis (7884 mg/kg), Landolphia lanceolata (6809 mg/kg), Tristemma mauritianum (4674 mg/kg), and Eugenia malangensis (13,989 mg/kg). All four species bear edible fruits with nutritional potential. The domestication and commercialization of those plants seem to be promising, utilizing local soils without expensive amelioration techniques.

Building Innovation Systems for Small-Scale Agricultural Activities in Sub-Saharan Africa

2016 ◽  
pp. 276-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olawale Oladipo Adejuwon
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Innovation System ◽  
Innovation Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Agricultural Activities ◽  
Research Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Successful Innovation

The failure of agricultural research systems to provide appropriate technologies to enhance competitiveness in small-scale agricultural activities in sub-Saharan Africa has been well documented. Recognising the peculiarities of such activities, this chapter proposes that a system of innovation where; the actors interact with each other; a combination of science- and experience-based mode of learning and innovation is used and; users provide producers of innovations with feedback will produce appropriate innovations for the sector. It is further hypothesized that the success of this system will be dependent on; the number, scope and strength of interactions among actors; brokerage activities; and an initial successful innovation system for downstream activities. The chapter also undertakes a qualitative assessment of the some-what successful Cassava and the not-so-successful palm oil sectors in Nigeria to highlight the importance of the framework and the differences between successful and ineffective innovation systems.

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