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Farming for change: developing a participatory curriculum on agroecology, nutrition, climate change and social equity in Malawi and Tanzania

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Rachel Bezner Kerr at Cornell University
Rachel Bezner Kerr
Sera Lewise Young at Northwestern University
Sera Lewise Young
Carrie Young at Cornell University
Carrie Young
Marianne Santoso at Northwestern University
Marianne Santoso
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How to engage farmers that have limited formal education is at the foundation of environmentally-sound and equitable agricultural development. Yet there are few examples of curricula that support the co-development of knowledge with farmers. While transdisciplinary and participatory techniques are considered key components of agroecology, how to do so is rarely specified and few materials are available, especially those relevant to smallholder farmers with limited formal education in Sub-Saharan Africa. The few training materials that exist provide appropriate methods, such as compost making, but do not explain relationships and synergies between nutrition, social inequalities, climate change and agroecology. Some food sovereignty and agroecology courses aim at popular political education for those with more formal education. Here we describe the process of development of an innovative curriculum, which integrates agroecology, nutrition, climate change, gender and other dimensions of social equity across 2 weeks of training explicitly for smallholders in southern Africa with limited formal education. The curriculum is highly participatory; we use concepts in popular education, transformative and experiential-based learning, and theatre. It is also integrative; we link agroecology with climate change, human and soil nutrition, gender, and related components of social equity. Developed in partnership with Malawian farmers, community development experts and academics from five countries, the curriculum was piloted with 520 smallholder farming households in Malawi and Tanzania, and evaluated using qualitative techniques. Clashes of language, cultural norms, and terminology were as great of a challenge as agreeing on and conveying technical information, to weave into a coherent whole. However, farmers who participated in the curriculum training demonstrated high interest, comprehension of material and interest in immediate application to their lives.
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... Similarly, Coquil et al. (2018) provided evidence of the benefits of experiential learning, active participation in diverse networks, and knowledge transfer among farmers. Additionally, Kerr et al. (2022) showed that participatory workshops facilitate community resilience and empower farmers through knowledge exchange by actively engaging participants in creating dramas, fostering open dialogue, and promoting collaborative problem-solving. Francis et al. (2011) also highlighted that participatory workshops offering hands-on learning experiences and collaborative problem-solving opportunities enable community members to share local knowledge, build social networks, and collectively develop sustainable solutions for agricultural challenges. ...
... These studies suggest that workshops not only improve technical skills but also strengthen community cohesion and collaboration, fundamental elements for the sustainability of food security. In addition, practical agroecological training, as the one developed in Mashue, can significantly increase food production, and promote sustainable practices, as it allows farmers to adopt efficient agroecological techniques, leading to greater productivity and sustainability (Benyei Peco et al. 2020;Coquil et al. 2018;Francis et al. 2011) and have a vital role in creating resilience against climatic and economic challenges (Kerr et al. 2022). ...
... Related to the economic implications of agroecological practices, Benyei Peco et al. (2020), Coquil et al. (2018), andFrancis et al. (2011) agree that adopting them has a positive economic impact, in terms of cost reduction from reducing the dependence on external inputs and increased income for farmers. Similarly, Kerr et al. (2022) add that, in addition to direct economic benefits, agroecological practices also have significant indirect economic effects, such as enhancing community well-being and reducing economic vulnerability. In this study, the workshops provided a platform for new residents to integrate into the community and begin building social networks. ...
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... When considering urban areas, there is the challenge of inequitable and inadequate public investment that fails to support the diverse practices and practitioners involved in growing food locally (Siegner et al., 2020), the lack of space and competition with other land uses within the city (Taylor, 2020) and the design of agroecological urban food systems for deprived neighborhoods (Simon-Rojo, 2019). Some initiatives to tackle these challenges include mapping existing urban agriculture sites as an initial step to creating successful policies Paddock and Smith (2018), and Powell and Wittman (2018) Participatory observation Kerr et al. (2019), Butrico and Kaplan (2018), Campbell and Veteto (2015), and Dale (2021) Workshop Robin (2019) and Ruelle et al. (2022) Talking circle Arthur and Porter (2019) Database/document analysis Kurtz (2015) and Resler and Hagolani-Albov (2021) and programs at the city or neighborhood level (Taylor and Lovell, 2012) and enabling agricultural activities at the municipal level could help restrict urban sprawl into agrarian areas (Condon et al., 2011). Agroecological farming reduces dependence on imported food, addressing the agro-food system's insufficiency in meeting the needs of the population (Diaz and Hunsberger, 2018). ...
... Education for the agroecological production model counters several challenges. These include empowering young people to create a community of learning and practice (Chollett, 2014), developing the agroecology curriculum in collaboration with farmers (Kerr et al., 2019), including Indigenous and peasant knowledge in food production (Domené-Painenao and Herrera, 2019), recognizing that increasing crop yields and livestock production efficiency will not solve world hunger and will have an impact on resource availability (Francis et al., 2017), recognizing the limited transformative potential of formal agroecology programs in the neoliberal context (Rivera-Ferre et al., 2021), lack of formal education in agroecological alternatives (Laforge and McLachlan, 2018), lack of a comprehensive understanding of agroecology and regional, national, and continental networks (Wezel et al., 2018). ...
... Agroecological food production processes protect the natural environment and biodiversity while allowing for conservation efforts, thus advocating climate change mitigation (Gunaratne et al., 2021). Agroecological education can be integrated with climate change efforts by considering human and soil nutrition, gender, and other social equity components for smallholders (Kerr et al., 2019). ...
Drivers of the food system based on food sovereignty domains: an integrative systematic literature review
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2024
Food sovereignty, as defined by the comprehensive definition offered in the 2007 Nyéléni Forum, encompasses essential action lines for transforming a food system based on food sovereignty principles. Understanding how current food system initiatives align with these principles is essential for identifying the necessary processes of change to drive this transformation. This study aimed to consolidate the contributions of advancements in food sovereignty to the existing literature. A systematic literature review was conducted to achieve this, analyzing 250 papers published between 2008 and 2023. The focus was on the research methods employed by the authors, food initiatives within the domains of food sovereignty, and the key drivers of a food system rooted in food sovereignty principles. The findings revealed that approximately 36% of the studies utilized interviews, surveys, and questionnaires for data collection, while 34% concentrated on targeted fieldwork through case studies. Around 19% of the studies involved in-depth interaction with specific groups, and just under 10% employed document analysis methods. The most extensively discussed domain was the use of agroecological management practices for food production, followed by the valuation of traditional knowledge, the promotion of social justice and equity, self-determination through the transformation of economic and political institutions, and the localization of food production and consumption. The food initiatives outlined overarching goals within each domain of food sovereignty, with three common goals identified across these domains: food security and consumption, environmental stewardship, and crisis preparedness. Furthermore, 29 drivers of a food system based on the domains of food sovereignty were identified, encompassing networks and a holistic approach present in all 5 domains. The study also highlights the implications for supporters of food sovereignty within the context of the identified goals of the food initiatives.
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... Revolution ideas-a set of technologies and agricultural practices transforming agriculture in developing countries (Patel, 2013). They include subsidizing synthetic fertilizers and hybrid seeds, as well as allocating land for large-scale agricultural intensification (Bezner Kerr et al., 2019). The Green Revolution is regarded as controversial due to negative impacts for (smallholder) farmers and the environment, like market-and supplier-dependencies, inequitable land distribution, insecure ownership, biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, and replacement of traditional nutrientrich crops by higher-value cash crops (Skerritt, 2016;Pingali, 2012). ...
... Accumulating evidence of the impact of agroecological practices on ecosystem functioning and livelihood strategies is a pivotal factor in facilitating agroecological transitions: Observing successful implementation by neighboring farmers trained in new techniques encourages others to adopt similar practices. R8 (personal communication, November 23, 2022) (Intriago et al., 2017;Bezner Kerr et al., 2019), which is reflected in the understanding the interviewed experts had of practices. Interviews revealed divergent understandings, with terms like agroecological, organic, and sustainable farming used interchangeably (R8-R13). ...
Agroecological approaches to securing rural livelihoods: a critical analysis using the example of Tanzania
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2024
Agrifood systems globally are confronted with mounting challenges, including hunger, rising food prices, and geopolitical tensions. Conventional agricultural models face criticism for causing environmental degradation and increasing poverty, which emphasizes the need for sustainable alternatives. Agroecology emerges as a promising solution that embodies a holistic, farmer-centric countermovement against corporate-led food systems. However, the practical implementation of agroecology as practice, science and social movement faces considerable barriers. Sceptics argue that agroecology is too complex, labor- and knowledge-intensive and cannot keep up with the production level of conventional agriculture. The case study was conducted in Tanzania’s Southern Highlands, based on expert interviews and literature analysis. It finds 18 factors that potentially impede the implementation and dissemination of agroecological approaches. Impeding factors exist in all three agroecological approaches. Most obstacles were identified with agroecology as a practical approach. Agroecology as a social movement was only addressed to a limited extent. Main challenges within the approaches include the fear of high financial, time, and energy expenditures when implementing agroecology, difficulties in adopting agroecological practices, the desired and equal collaboration between farmers and researchers, diverging and different definitions and understandings of agroecology, gender relations in farming activities and market and price dependencies for generating income. The study emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts, awareness, and supportive policies to promote agroecology effectively. The research contributes to bridging the gap between theoretical debates and practical applications of agroecology and urges rethinking and revising its conceptualization.
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... (Jasinskas & Simanavičienė,2008;Dooley,2020; To-The., & Nguyen-Anh.,2021; Kerr et al.,2022). However, the Impact Assessment of EAS has a spill-over effect because beneficiaries receive information from multiple sources (Anderson & Feder, 2004;Vinaya et al., 2017). ...
IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF EXTENSION AND ADVISORY SERVICE PROVIDERS IN A PLURALISTIC EXTENSION SCENARIO
Article
  • Dec 2024
Agriculture has had an enormous effect on national development. To increase productivity, promote food security, and create market linkage, it is imperative to ensure the Impactful Extension and Advisory Services (EAS). There is a wide variety of EAS providers in the pluralistic extension scene, including governmental, private, and non-governmental organizations. Each provider works with distinct mandates and initiatives to support farmers in various agricultural and associated endeavors. Given the heterogeneous landscape, assessing various EAS providers’ impact across various metrics is essential. This study primarily evaluates the impacts of these EAS providers: Input dealers, KVK, FPC, ATMA & DoA, either alone or in different combinations in three Districts of West Bengal, considering 80 farmers from each district, a total of 240. Different beneficiary groups are categorized according to their beneficiary status to embrace the Impact Assessment’s spillover effect. A composite measure of changes in cropping intensity, practices, skill development, awareness, knowledge, and adoption of innovations was calculated to create the Impact Index. The groups were then compared with respect to the metrics and their Impact Index. An ANOVA was used with a post-hoc test to understand the Impact Index’s variance. The outcomes showed notable differences in the impacts that recipients experienced in various combinations. Also demonstrated that influence is generated higher when the Extension mechanism is more pluralistic and how different EAS providers are facilitating in creating meaningful impact.
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... Numerous educators have attempted to address this lack of equitycentered and action-oriented courses by developing new food systems pedagogical frameworks. Prominent FSE scholars-many published in the Frontiers research topics "Critical and Equity-Oriented Pedagogical Innovations in Sustainable Food Systems Education" of 2020-2023 and "Critical Praxis and the Social Imaginary for Sustainable Food Systems" of 2022-2023-present reviews and interventions which integrate literature and teaching experiences into new frameworks for equity-centered FSE instruction (Galt et al., 2012;Galt et al., 2013a;Galt et al., 2013b;Burdick, 2014;Meek and Tarlau, 2015;Valley et al., 2018;Bezner Kerr et al., 2019;Valley et al., 2020;Ebel et al., 2020;Corkery et al., 2021;Sterling et al., 2021;Aguilar, 2021;Horner et al., 2021;Belarmino et al., 2022;Fanshel and Iles, 2022;Livstrom et al., 2022;Nordstrom et al., 2022;Otieno et al., 2022;Stephenson et al., 2023;Valley et al., 2023). One of the most widely-cited frameworks developed in the past decade is Sustainable Food Systems Education, which aims to "support postsecondary students across a range of disciplines in developing the knowledge, skills and dispositions to effectively address complex challenges in the food system… [and] engage in collective action toward transforming the food system" (Valley et al., 2018, p. 1). ...
Training for transformation: examining food systems courses at US land-grant universities
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2024
Higher education institutions can play an essential role in preparing students to participate in movements for just and sustainable food systems change. For the past two decades, many United States land-grant universities (LGUs) have developed food systems education (FSE) courses. This study examined the extent to which FSE courses employ four capacities deemed crucial by the FSE literature: multidimensional approaches, interdisciplinarity, centering equity, and training students to take action in food systems. The syllabi of 171 undergraduate courses at 20 LGUs were obtained by contacting instructors, and their course descriptions and learning outcomes were analyzed. This subset of LGUs were identified from the membership list of the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (MCURC), a nationwide network of colleges using campus dining halls and classrooms as living laboratories for food systems change. Most course descriptions and learning outcomes exhibited multidimensional approaches and interdisciplinarity. However, many failed to incorporate teaching content and practices that help students critically examine equity and social justice issues in food systems, or engage in transformative change. LGUs have both the resources and urgent responsibility to empower students to be part of movements to transform unjust, unsustainable food systems. The findings of this study, and an accompanying open-access syllabus website, aim to accelerate the development of FSE curricula that prepare students to change food systems.
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El enfoque del Metabolismo Social para el análisis de la sostenibilidad de la producción de alimentos en Ecuador
Thesis
Full-text available
  • Dec 2024
Esta tesis de Doctorado tiene como objetivo general analizar modelos que presenten mayor viabilidad de producción de alimentos en Ecuador bajo el enfoque de metabolismo social. A través de los objetivos específicos: i) caracterizar los modelos tecnológicos predominantes para la producción de alimentos, ii) identificar efectos sociales, económicos y ambientales del sector agro productivo del Ecuador, iii) evaluar modelos tecnológicos de producción de alimentos en Ecuador desde el enfoque del metabolismo social, y, iv) determinar las implicaciones de políticas públicas implementadas en el sector agro productivo ecuatoriano como aporte al crecimiento económico equitativo, la seguridad alimentaria y la sostenibilidad. La naturaleza de la investigación se basa en la metodología mixta. Inicialmente cualitativa, mediante la obtención de datos obtenidos, principalmente, a partir de fuentes secundarias. Posteriormente, de carácter cuantitativo. Es así que, las técnicas de análisis están fundamentadas en la inducción analítica, con un uso moderado de componentes estadísticos. El alcance de esta investigación es exploratoria, descriptiva y explicativa. Se fundamenta en el estudio de casos. La estructura de la tesis está organizada mediante la siguiente diagramación. El capítulo 2 contiene la metodología utilizada. En el capítulo 3 se presentan el marco teórico que abarca el marco referencial del metabolismo social y el enfoque de sostenibilidad, así como características del sistema agroalimentario. El capítulo 4 está compuesto de una compilación de artículos publicados ligados directamente a los objetivos de la investigación. En el capítulo 5 se presentan las principales conclusiones de la tesis y sugerencias de futuras investigaciones. Palabras clave: Sistema agroalimentario, nexo, Ecuador, metabolismo social, sostenibilidad, gestión tecnológica.
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A STRATEGY FOR YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IN AGROECOLOGY
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2024
This paper highlights the role of youth as influential consumers and change agents. Youth, especially the Gen Z, known for their materialism and brand engagement, incorporating brands into their personal identities, makes them a valuable asset for agroecology consumption and investment. Youth represent not only a significant current market but also the future of consumer behavior. Potential in youth consumption habits and preferences which are still forming, makes them a prime target for marketers looking to establish long-term brand loyalty. The study identifies pathways for meaningful youth engagement in agroecology, emphasizing the need for improved access to resources, education and training, and youth participation in policy making. It compiles best practices from international and local agroecology initiatives, highlighting the critical role of institutions, NGOs, and governments in promoting youth involvement in agroecology. Recommendations are provided to enhance youth participation in agroecology, including advocacy for youth-friendly policies and strategies for scaling successful initiatives. The findings suggest that empowering youth in agroecology can generate significant economic, environmental, and social benefits, contributing to the sustainability of food systems and addressing broader societal issues such as unemployment and social equity.
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Developing an Evaluation Training Program for Community-Based Organizations: A Participatory Curriculum Development Approach
Article
  • Jun 2024
Community-based organizations increasingly recognize the value of evaluative insights in informing decision-making and improving their services. However, these organizations often lack the capacity to conduct and use evaluations, and traditional evaluation capacity building (ECB) activities are not always adapted to their particular contexts. This practice note introduces an innovative evaluation training program for small grassroots community-based organizations. Employing a participatory curriculum development approach, the training program was tailored to meet the specific needs and realities of the community sector. The authors first outline the collaborative process used to involve community and academic stakeholders in the program’s development. They then present the resulting training plan, consisting of seven self-directed online learning modules with chosen activities to foster learning and knowledge transfer into practice. The potential implications for designing, researching, and evaluating similar initiatives are explored and discussed.
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Core Principles and Practices for the Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Social and Behavior Change for Nutrition in Low- and Middle-Income Contexts with Special Applications for Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture
Article
  • Jul 2024
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Performative methodologies and Transformative Learning. A systematic review. In G. Koulaouzides & D. Soeiro (Eds.), Reimagining transformative and emancipatory adult educaition for a world to come. pp.125-133. Proceedings of the 1st Conference of the ESREA Transformative and Emancipatory Adult Education Network. Fylatos Publishing.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
Through a review of the literature of the last twenty years, the article explores the use of theatrical performance methodologies. The objectives are the reconstruction and systematization of intervention proposals and survey instruments used to investigate the transformations that have occurred in participants. The purpose is to identify trajectories and research tools capable of recording rational and emotional dimensions, both of which are involved in transformative learning and in performance methodologies. The emphasis on this holistic view suggests that transformative learning should be considered from an embodied perspective.
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Knowledge politics in participatory climate change adaptation research on agroecology in Malawi
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2018
Climate change is projected to have severe implications for smallholder agriculture in Africa, with increased temperatures, increased drought and flooding occurrence, and increased rainfall variability. Given these projections, there is a need to identify effective strategies to help rural communities adapt to climatic risks. Yet, relatively little research has examined the politics and social dynamics around knowledge and sources of information about climate-change adaptation with smallholder farming communities. This paper uses a political ecology approach to historically situate rural people's experiences with a changing climate. Using the concept of the co-production of knowledge, we examine how Malawian smallholder farmers learn, perceive, share and apply knowledge about a changing climate, and what sources they draw on for agroecological methods in this context. As well, we pay particular attention to agricultural knowledge flows within and between households. We ask two main questions: Whose knowledge counts in relation to climate-change adaptation? What are the political, social and environmental implications of these knowledge dynamics? We draw upon a long-term action research project on climate-change adaptation that involved focus groups, interviews, observations, surveys, and participatory agroecology experiments with 425 farmers. Our findings are consistent with other studies, which found that agricultural knowledge sources were shaped by gender and other social inequalities, with women more reliant on informal networks than men. Farmers initially ranked extension services as important sources of knowledge about farming and climate change. After farmers carried out participatory agroecological research, they ranked their own observation and informal farmer networks as more important sources of knowledge. Contradictory ideas about climate-change adaptation, linked to various positions of power, gaps of knowledge and social inequalities make it challenging for farmers to know how to act despite observing changes in rainfall. Participatory agroecological approaches influenced adaptation strategies used by smallholder farmers in Malawi, but most still maintained the dominant narrative about climate-change causes, which focused on local deforestation by rural communities. Smallholder farmers in Malawi are responsible for <1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet our results show that the farmers often blame their own rural communities for changes in deforestation and rainfall patterns. Researchers need to consider differences knowledge and power between scientists and farmers and the contradictory narratives at work in communities to foster long-term change.
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Food sovereignty education across the Americas: multiple origins, converging movements
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2019
  • AGR HUM VALUES
Social movements are using education to generate critical consciousness regarding the social and environmental unsustainability of the current food system, and advocate for agroecological production. In this article, we explore results from a cross-case analysis of six social movements that are using education as a strategy to advance food sovereignty. We conducted participatory research with diverse rural and urban social movements in the United States, Brazil, Cuba, Bolivia, and Mexico, which are each educating for food sovereignty. We synthesize insights from critical food systems education and the political ecology of education in analyzing these cases. We compare the thematic similarities and difference between these movements’ education initiatives in terms of their emergence, initial goals, expansion and institutionalization, relationship to the state, theoretical inspirations, pedagogical approach, educational topics, approach to student research, and outcomes. Among these thematic areas, we find that student-centered research on competing forms of production is an integral way to advance critical consciousness about the food system and the political potential of agroecological alternatives. However, what counts, as success in these programs, is highly case-dependent. For engaged scholars committed to advancing education for food sovereignty, it is essential to reflect upon the lessons learned and challenges faced by these movements.
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The Long Road: Rural Youth, Farming and Agroecological Formación in Central America
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2017
Across the globe, the countryside faces the " generation problem " : Who will grow food when the current generation of aging small farmers and peasants disappears? A combination of objective and subjective factors effectively discourages young people from assuming the continuity of peasant and family farming, especially in countries that have experienced significant neoliberal dismantling of rural infrastructure and education. Rural social movements are increasingly building educational processes linked with small-scale, ecological farming in the hopes of reinforcing the development of identities and skills for peasant futures and cadre in the struggle for popular land reform, agroecology, and food sovereignty.
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Sub‐Optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Practices in Singida, Tanzania are Associated with Food Insecurity
Article
  • Apr 2015
High prevalence of stunting in Singida, Tanzania has been attributed to sub‐optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. To evaluate the appropriateness of a proposed participatory agroecological and nutrition peer education intervention for improving IYCF and child growth, we described and assessed covariates of suboptimal IYCF practices. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted with mothers and fathers in households with children <2 years (n=322). Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze covariates of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for children <6 months and meeting the minimum acceptable diet (MAD) for children 蠅 6 months. Of children <6 months (n=59), 40.7% received EBF, and 19.2% of 蠅 6 months (n=255) received MAD [table 1]. Small sample size prohibited multivariate regression analysis of EBF [table 2], but the most common explanations of early cessation of EBF [insufficient breastmilk (58.5%) and infant age (36.6%)] could be improved with education interventions. Meeting MAD was associated with household food security, asset score, and a dry season garden [table 2]. Legume consumption would improve dietary diversity in 67% of children 蠅 6 months, helping 16% to meet MAD. IYCF practices in Singida district need improvement. Potential strategies include increasing legume consumption, promoting a dry season garden, increasing food security, and increasing care providers' nutrition knowledge. Table 1. Prevalence of WHO IYCF indicators among 314 children in Singida, Tanzania, by age Indicators ¹ n Proportion of infants <6 exclusively breastfed 40.7% 59 Dietary diversity score of infants 6‐23 months, mean (SD) 3.1 (1.9) 255 Proportion of infants 6‐23 months with acceptable dietary diversity ² 37.3% 255 Meal frequency of infants 6‐23 months, mean (SD) 2.6 (1.0) 255 Proportion of infants 6‐23 months who had acceptable meal frequency ³ 42.0% 255 Proportion of infants 6‐23 months receiving minimal acceptable diet ⁴ 19.2% 255 Proportion of all infants receiving appropriate IYCF ⁵ 22.7% 314 Exclusive Breastfed Met Minimum Acceptable Diet Unadjusted OR ¹ (p) Unadjusted OR ¹ (p) Adjusted OR ² (p) n 50‐59 250‐261 261 Living in a village with good healthcare access 0.40(0.10) 2.54(0.05) Household’s asset (score) ³ 0.87(0.36) 1.28(0.00) 1.19(0.01) Household’s food security (quartile) ⁴ 1.01(0.87) 0.82(0.00) 0.47(0.00) Household’s farm size (acres) 0.97(0.59) 1.03(0.59) Household has a dry season garden 0.40(0.30) 2.88(0.01) 2.58(0.03) Household’s under‐5 to adult ratio 1.36(0.64) 1.71(0.18) Husband helps with household chores (score) ⁵ 1.75(0.46) 1.42(0.53) Mothers participation in household decisions (score) ⁶ 0.93(0.79) 1.10(0.54) Mother finished primary school 1.34(0.65) 1.24(0.65) Child’s age (months) 0.82(0.29) 0.97(0.18) Child is female 1.40(0.52) 0.93(0.78) Funding support: Collaborative Crop Research Program, McKnight Foundation. SLY was supported by the NIH (K01 MH098902)
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Agroecology: The Science of Sustainable Agriculture
Book
  • Feb 2018
This new edition builds on the explosion of research on sustainable agriculture since the late 1980s. By separating myth from reality, Miguel Altieri extracts the key principles of sustainable agriculture and expounds on management systems that “really work.” Providing case studies of sustainable rural development in developing countries, he goes beyond a mere description of practices to include data that reveal the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of alternative projects. Each chapter of Agroecology has been enriched and updated with the latest research results from around the world. New emphasis has been placed on such issues as the ecological economics of agriculture, policy changes needed for promoting sustainable agriculture, rural development in the Third World, the role of biodiversity in agriculture, and new research methodologies.
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Re-evaluating the Malawian Farm Input Subsidy Programme
Article
  • Mar 2017
The Malawian Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) has received praise as a proactive policy that has transformed the nation's food security, yet irreconcilable differences exist between maize production estimates distributed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Malawi Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MoAFS) and the National Statistical Office (NSO) of Malawi. These differences illuminate yield-reporting deficiencies and the value that alternative, politically unbiased yield estimates could play in understanding policy impacts. We use net photosynthesis (PsnNet) as an objective source of evidence to evaluate production history and production potential under a fertilizer input scenario. Even with the most generous harvest index (HI) and area manipulation to match a reported error, we are unable to replicate post-FISP production gains. In addition, we show that the spatial delivery of FISP may have contributed to popular perception of widespread maize improvement. These triangulated lines of evidence suggest that FISP may not have been the success it was thought to be. Lastly, we assert that fertilizer subsidies may not be sufficient or sustainable strategies for production gains in Malawi.
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Gender and Agrarian Inequities
Chapter
  • Dec 2017
This chapter focuses on gender dimensions of inequality in agriculture and rural development. The first section examines inequality on a global scale, discussing some of the major historical, economic, and institutional dynamics instrumental in shaping contemporary inequalities. A basic definition of gender is explained, and the ways in which gender inequality occurs in terms of access to productive resources is discussed. These productive resources include land, labor, inputs, and knowledge. The final section considers the ways in which the work of development practitioners, agronomists, and research scientists is embedded in the systems of inequality, and aspects to consider when designing and conducting agricultural research and extension if sustainable agricultural systems are the end goal. A case study from Northern Malawi, and examples from Tanzania and elsewhere provide specific examples of gender and other inequalities, and how agricultural research can try to address these inequalities in the approach to, and methods of, research.
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Outreach to Support Rural Innovation
Chapter
  • Dec 2017
The role of extension programs continues to undergo a transformation, with a focus on engaging the end-user to innovate. Extension programs that once relied on top-down program delivery now see value in local modifications of technology to fit within local resources and needs. Collectively, the focus is on quality partnerships and collaborations to support adaptive innovation. The goal is to replace a supply-driven approach with a decentralized, demand-driven extension system. This participatory action extension approach supports an iterative, co-learning process where options are offered to the user and they in-turn adapt to address local challenges. Information technologies and social media are rapidly growing fields that are beginning to support participatory extension and mass communication, which will continue to grow in use and value. In particular, radio dramas and reality shows are approaches that draw on oral traditions and have been shown to improve farmer decision-making around pest and crop management. Cell phones are a quick-adopting technology offering improved communication and feedback in even the most remote areas. Farmers are challenged to consider pros and cons, and trade-offs, so innovations and management options are developed to meet needs and expectations. The focus here is on farmers as equal partners, to ensure that change comes from within and case examples that reflect local priorities, resources, and conditions, as part of a sustainable outreach process.
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