Farmer Associations, Decentralization and Development in Rwanda: Challenges Ahead

This paper summarizes the findings from FSRP/DSA surveys designed to identify some of the key institutional issues surrounding the role of farmer associations in the delivery of, and access to agricultural services. Specifically, the surveys focus on the capacity of four actors–MINAGRI Regional and District Agents, NGOs, District Governments (the Mayors) and farmer associations and intergroupements to provide farmers with agricultural services that might help in the transition from semi-subsistence to commercial agriculture. As this synthesis paper indicates, some of these services have been provided on an irregular basis for many years through a variety of government, NGO, donor agency and private business efforts. Moreover, this paper highlights the strengths and weaknesses of these four key actors; it also identifies areas for improvement, and recommends ways for enhancing the efficiency and equity of services available to farmers through farmer associations.food security, food policy, Rwanda, farmer associations, International Development, Q18,

Farmer Associations, Decentralization and Development in Rwanda: Challenges Ahead

This paper summarizes the findings from FSRP/DSA surveys designed to identify some of the key institutional issues surrounding the role of farmer associations in the delivery of, and access to agricultural services. Specifically, the surveys focus on the capacity of four actors–MINAGRI Regional and District Agents, NGOs, District Governments (the Mayors) and farmer associations and intergroupements to provide farmers with agricultural services that might help in the transition from semi-subsistence to commercial agriculture. As this synthesis paper indicates, some of these services have been provided on an irregular basis for many years through a variety of government, NGO, donor agency and private business efforts. Moreover, this paper highlights the strengths and weaknesses of these four key actors; it also identifies areas for improvement, and recommends ways for enhancing the efficiency and equity of services available to farmers through farmer associations

Use of Field Experiments in Soil Erosion Research

Experiments have a long tradition in geomorphology because of the need, or desire, to reduce complexity and thus simulate otherwise unattainable conditions. Sensu stricto, experiments involve controlled procedures that are carried out with the aim of testing a hypothesis. The challenge for designing an experiment in order to meet the expectations of the researcher lies in identifying its location in the triangle of precision versus realism versus generalism (e.g., Kuhn, 2014). By their own virtue, experiments aim to be more precise than nature, or rather, what can be observed in nature. This necessitates a reductionist, or simplified approach, which can frequently place the representativeness of the experiment, and thus the general relevance of the results to real-world scenarios into question (e.g., Bryan 1990). For instance, selecting a suitable plot size and rainfall intensity to perform rainfall simulations illustrates this challenge and will be one of the issues discussed in the case study presented in this chapter. In environmental sciences, the term “experiment” is commonly used in a somewhat wider context than has typically been applied in the more traditional, or “natural,” sciences. The reason for this is the compromise that has to be made in order to meet a position in the precision–realism–generalism triangle that generates an answer to the question being addressed by the experiment (Slaymaker, 1991). Further limitations arise from the field situation, as these can typically limit the level of control when compared to a laboratory experiment. Therefore, three broad aims of field experiments in geomorphology can be identified: 1. Actual experiments that aim to test one or more hypotheses on the interaction of one or more components within a landscape system. 2. Process-rate measurements in the field in order to quantify a conceptual model or test the relevance of a particular process in a given landscape system