The transfer of agricultural technology and the development of small-scale farming in rural Africa: case studies from Ghana, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and South Africa
Lado, C.
GeoJournal 45(3): 165-176
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0343-2521 DOI: 10.1023/a:1006931320926Document Number: 420581
It is noted that there has been a failure in the dissemination of improved technologies to the smaller farmer in Africa. The paper considers the view that to understand fully why the available technologies have remained largely at the research centres, there is need to examine the whole process of research, development, dissemination and utilization of agricultural technology. It is significant to investigate the structural constraints and prospects under which those involved in the process work, their motivations and the interactions between different groups. The traditional 'top-down' of development strategy should be supplemented with farmers' indigenous knowledge, and programmes encouraging transfer of agricultural technology should include institutional support. Only by the identification of farmers' environmental and resource utilization, preferences, socioeconomic circumstances and constraints can a development programme of optimum meaning to farmers be devised and implemented with success. Five case studies are presented from Ghana (agroforestry technology), Sudan (bio-intensive gardening technology), Uganda (indigenous tree culture), Zambia (agroforestry technology) and South Africa (soil conservation programme) to demonstrate the transfer of agricultural technologies to small-scale farmers in rural Africa. The limited data used were derived through library and archival search and examination of previous studies.