The poor agricultural system in Africa, who is to blame?

Although agriculture is the backbone of the African economy, it has faced considerable challenges in the past sixty years. Africa has moved from being a self-sufficiency continent before the 1960s, to net food importers, with a handful of countries facing severe food shortages from drought, desertification, climate change and wars. In this article, we use the case of Northern Ghana to explore some of the salient dynamics that have resulted in the current crisis in the African agricultural sector over time. Using historical and contemporary evidence gathered from Northern Ghana during several field trips from 2013 to 2015, we argue that practices adopted as a result of colonial influence in combination with socio-economic and biophysical factors and ineffective economic policies have contributed immensely to the poor state of agriculture in Africa. Note should be taken that most of these economic policies have origins from the Structural Adjustment Policies and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. We conclude that our agricultural systems can be improved if policies are inclusive, equitable and sustainable and also if there are synergies between international or government organisations implementing agricultural projects over time and space

Meeting the food needs of refugee children in the northern and eastern regions of Cameroon: current challenges faced and strategies to overcome them

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Learning to select and apply qualitative and participatory methods in natural resource management research: self-critical assessment of research in Cameroon

Biophysical scientists are increasingly interested in undertaking research on natural resources management from a social science perspective. This, however, requires at least a basic understanding of the different social science approaches and the philosophical perspectives underlying them. We present a meta-analysis of a researcher’s experience when applying qualitative and participatory research methods for the first time, and reflect on the challenges and lessons learned that could help other aspiring researchers in conducting research with such methods. We compare researcher’s experiences with a quantitative research tool (household surveys) and qualitative non-participatory (focus group discussions) and participatory tools (seasonal activity calendars and access and control matrices) used in a gender-responsive forestry study in Cameroon. The field research included almost 50 gender- and age-disaggregated group sessions. Based on the meta-analysis of the research process, we identified key factors affecting the perceived ease of eliciting and interpreting information with different types of social research tools: specificity and acceptance of a tool, ease of managing social dynamics and maintaining focus during data collection, and subjectivity and comparability during data analysis and interpretation. Developing skills in participatory research from research design to group facilitation and balanced interpretation of findings require considerable time and is often best learned through apprenticeship. We explore how experience gained through the use of participatory research tools and reflection will help in applying such tools better, improving interaction with research participants and increasing relevance of research results

Increasing women's visibility in the bean value chain in Cameroon

Women’s role in agri-food system are varied but are often not visible as they are not considered farmers but helpers. This has resulted to women having limited access to productive agricultural resources. Women should be at the centre of activities in the agrifood systems hence involving women at all levels of the value chain. women are not a homogenous group, so intersectionality categories should guide the process. We are cognizant of the fact that bean businesses are mostly family businesses with different household members playing different roles, therefore our interventions target men, women and youths within the households

Pictorial snapshot of the different roles men and women play along the bean value chain in Africa

The socio-cultural, economic and political environment over time has shaped and is still re-shaping gender roles, participation, decision making and benefit sharing in farming households in Africa. The pictures below are a reflection of the labour division by women, men and youths on farm and at the household. Identifying the different roles played by all actors at the different hubs in the value chain will guide appropriate program designs and interventions aimed at reducing inequality and promoting inclusivity. Complemented with the right partnership, infrastructural support, human capital and environment, we will be able to close the gender gap in the bean value chain and agriculture as a whole

Bean transformation in Africa: where are we and where are we going?

Common bean, (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) generally grown as a subsistence crop for home consumption is fast becoming a commercial crop sold by farmers for income. The call for bean transformation comes at a time when the population is increasing and the demand for bean grains and bean products is at its highest, especially as it’s being considered a “poor man's meat”. The Pan-African Bean Alliance (PABRA) is leading this transformation by increasing access to mechanisation, technology, capacity building, credit, markets for men with emphasis on women and youths, thus creating an enabling environment for business

Learning to select and apply qualitative and participatory methods in natural resource management research: self-critical assessment of research in Cameroon

Biophysical scientists are increasingly interested in undertaking research on natural resources management from a social science perspective. This, however, requires at least a basic understanding of the different social science approaches and the philosophical perspectives underlying them. We present a meta-analysis of a researcher's experience when applying qualitative and participatory research methods for the first time, and reflect on the challenges and lessons learned that could help other aspiring researchers in conducting research with such methods. We compare researcher's experiences with a quantitative research tool (household surveys) and qualitative non-participatory (focus group discussions) and participatory tools (seasonal activity calendars and access and control matrices) used in a gender-responsive forestry study in Cameroon. The field research included almost 50 gender- and age-disaggregated group sessions. Based on the meta-analysis of the research process, we identified key factors affecting the perceived ease of eliciting and interpreting information with different types of social research tools: specificity and acceptance of a tool, ease of managing social dynamics and maintaining focus during data collection, and subjectivity and comparability during data analysis and interpretation. Developing skills in participatory research from research design to group facilitation and balanced interpretation of findings require considerable time and is often best learned through apprenticeship. We explore how experience gained through the use of participatory research tools and reflection will help in applying such tools better, improving interaction with research participants and increasing relevance of research results

Repositioning women and youths in the bean corridors in sub-Saharan Africa

Women constitute more than 60% of bean producers across Africa, providing more than 60% of labour in bean production. Women are also involved in activities in the distribution and consumption hubs along the bean value chain. In collaboration with public and private partners, we have designed gender sensitive interventions aimed at reducing gender inequity through the provision of innovative bean-based technologies, credit and markets thus creating an enabling business environment for beans

Regional impact of COVID-19 on the production and food security of common bean smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa: Implication for SDG's

Concerns about the implications of COVID-19 on agriculture and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa abound. Containment measures in response to the pandemic have markedly different outcomes depending on the degree of enforcement of the measures and the existing vulnerabilities pre-COVID. In this descriptive study, we document the possible impacts of the pandemic on bean production and food security using data collected from March to April 2020 in eleven countries in four sub-regions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The results reveal that COVID-19 created significant bean production challenges across the sub-regions, including low access to seed, farm inputs, hired labor, and agricultural finance. We also show that COVID-19 threatens to reverse gains made in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals number 1 and 2. Countries in Southern and Eastern Africa are likely to suffer temporal food shortages than those in Western and Central Africa. Although governments have responded by offering economic stimulus packages, much needs to be done to enable the sub-sector to recover from ruins caused by the pandemic. We recommend building sustainable and resilient food systems through strengthening and enabling public-private partnerships. Governments should invest directly in input supply systems and short food supply chains through digital access and food delivery