Science and Technology Mailing List Archive

["Eli Minja" <<address removed>>]

Having been involved in agricultural research for over 25 years 
including 18 with national programme, 9 in projects under the CGIAR of 
which 4 have been on DFID funding, I would like to comment on science 
and technology in agriculture with reference to rural smallholder 
farmers in eastern, central and southern Africa.

All contributions in this consultation have been very informative and 
stimulating. When we think of the production to consumption continuum, 
the farmers (men and women, large and small scale) are the focus for all 
activities.  The goal of researchers, extension agents, private sector, 
policy makers, consumers and donors is to enable farmers to use science 
and technology to produce enough for food and various markets.  The 
rural farmers, most of whom are women need to be empowered to own, plan 
and manage their own resources and be able to seek for services 
according to their needs.  Strong linkages between these farmers and the 
other stakeholders are vital in maintaining the production chain.  
Science and technologies have to reach the farmers in the appropriate 
and acceptable manner for adoption of new technologies.  DFID has played 
a key role in capacity building for researchers and extension personnel 
in tropical Africa through and with linkages to many UK based 
institutions and scientists.  

Taking the contributions to this consultation, those from Jill and Dave 
are extremely relevant in that, the integrated approach adopted in 
result oriented research has helped in linking strategic and adaptive 
research that has led to measurable impacts in RNRRS projects in target 
regions.  DFID should base its future plans on such successful linkages. 
 No research results will benefit the poor farmers if dissemination and 
promotion are not in place.  Neither can dissemination and or promotion 
can be effective without research because the feedback from 
disseminationand promotion activities have to be researched on to 
address the rising needs from farmers.

To add to Vinay's comments, it is evolving in current RNRRS project 
activities with smallholder farmers that farmer to farmer contact, cross 
visits, training farmers and extensionists together, participatory 
planning/implentation/monitoring/and evaluation, field demonstrations 
and field days, village information centres, radio, drama, TV, etc. are 
proving to be very effective in information dissemination and adoption 
of technologies.  Innovative farmers in these cases have valued the 
research information that they are generating to such an extent that 
they have formed research groups through participatory approaches and 
have demanded to be assisted to disseminate the knowledge they generate 
to other farmers.  The recipient farmers wasted no time in experimenting 
rather they adopted the technologies with minimum modifications. The 
built-in confidence of these farmers has enabled some of them to 
disseminate such information to several regional workshop audiences 
(e.g. S&T workshop, network meetings, project regional meetings, etc.) 
and they are keen to do so elsewhere. 

In confirmation to James' observation that farmers need and value 
information that helps them increase food and income, farmers at current 
project sites have gone further to sensitise their community local 
leaders to set up village information centres (VICs) to stock the 
promotional materials in which they contributed their traditional 
knowledge. The VICs are helping in retaining documented traditional and 
new knowledge at the source and providing easy access to information at 
village level not only on agriculture but also on health, education, 
environment, etc.  One of the VICs is also a telcentre for the location. 
 Innovative farmer groups are demanding information on various aspects 
of farm production including training in various fields including seed 
production and group dynamics, markets, rural enterprises, credits and 
savings, etc.  At few sites such groups have united to form and manage 
district based community organisations (CBOs) to address some of these 
issues.  The CBOs are managed by community members under the auspices of 
the district authority and locally active NGOs, unlike the government 
designed cooperatives that have become a drain to the treasuries of most 
countries.

As Gary states, policies to reform and support extension, research, the 
private sector and NGO involvement in farmer activities need to be in 
place.  Some local government policies have advocated a slow down in 
capacity building and succession of trained manpower such that there are 
signs of large gaps in the capacity to carry out research and extension 
services effectively.  In most cases where staff exist, they are 
demoralised by low salary pays and hence local governments need to have 
a policy in place to address such in order to avoid the current brain 
drain on trained personnel.  The rising HIV/AIDS incidences also calls 
for the need to change policies on the ground in terms of education and 
capacity building.  Researchers and the extension provide the bridge 
through which most NGOs and the private sector are able to reach and 
work with most smallholder farmers in the region.  Further policy 
support is required to enable increased involvement of women farmers in 
project activities because more than 50% of the rural smallholder 
farmers are women and over 80% of household field work is left to the 
women who also have to make sure that the family has enough food, seed 
to plant, etc.  We are observing gradual changes and relatively faster 
adoption of technologies by communities where women and men farmers are 
participating in decision making and in project implementation. 

DFID have access to information on such project achievements. This can 
form the basis for strategising its investment for the benefit of the 
poor rural farmers in Africa and elsewhere.  One could write pages, but 
this should save a snap shot of current happenings that require 
reflection for future planning.

Thank you

Eli Minja


=============================================================
To send a reply to this message that goes to all list members,
make sure that you send your reply to <address removed>

To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to "<address removed>", with the 
message body:

unsubscribe science-and-technology <your-email-address>