Moore, Keith M.

Ndiaye, Amadou

English

eGrove (Univ. of Mississippi)

Journal of Rural Social Sciences Volume 32 Issue 1 Special Issues on African Agricultural Development Article 1 6-30-2017 Rural Sociologists in the Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Development Keith M. Moore Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Amadou Ndiaye Gaston Berger University Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss  Part of the Rural Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Moore, Keith, and Amadou Ndiaye. 2017. "Rural Sociologists in the Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Development." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 32(1): Article 1. Available At: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol32/iss1/1 This Editorial is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Population Studies at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Rural Social Sciences by an authorized editor of eGrove. For more information, please contact egrove@olemiss.edu. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 32(1), 2017, pp. 1–2.Copyright © by the Southern Rural Sociological Association RURAL SOCIOLOGISTS IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF AFRICANAGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT KEITH M. MOOREVIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY and AMADOU NDIAYEGASTON BERGER UNIVERSITY This double issue stems from sessions held at the 2016 Congress of theInternational Rural Sociology Association (IRSA) in Toronto, Canada. Tostrengthen professional collaboration across Africa, a group of African and Africa-centric rural sociologists examined recent policy and program initiatives in Africanagricultural and rural development. The paper sessions were designed for twopurposes: (1) to stimulate the design and implementation of effective rural policiesthrough scientifically sound and critical social analyses; and (2) to demonstrate theroles that rural sociologists in Africa play in that process. The context for these sessions was framed by the Comprehensive AfricaAgricultural Development Programme (CAADP), an ambitious vision of the NewPartnership for African Development (NEPAD) to improve productivity andgrowth in African agriculture. CAADP was established in July 2003 by the AfricanUnion to implement their policy agenda to transform Africa at the country level.Since then, however, CAADP is far from achieving the anticipated results of foodand nutritional security. As can be seen in the following articles African rural sociologists are focused onimproving the livelihoods of rural populations. Their activities involve thecommunication, promotion, and analysis of policies implementing the CAADPagenda through government extension systems or NGOs. The analyses range fromthe introduction and adoption of specific innovations to more broadly focusednational government programs to stimulate agricultural productivity of smallfarmers. True to the practical spirit of rural sociology, these authors go beyondpurely academic analyses to assess the local impacts and policy implications forscalable efforts. Characterizing the policy implementation context, Naswem and Ejembi reflecton the history of agricultural extension in one nation, Nigeria. Building on thisanalysis, they evaluate the potential for revitalization of the Nigerian extensionsystem through Nigeria’s most recent agricultural development policy initiative: theAgricultural Transformation Agenda. 11Moore and Ndiaye: Rural Sociologists in the Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentPublished by eGrove, 20192 JOURNAL OF RURAL SOCIAL SCIENCESMubichi compares policies for the promotion of soybean production in twoneighboring countries in southeastern Africa (Malawi and Mozambique).Controlling for agro-ecological conditions, the analysis demonstrates the role of acountry’s economic policy in translating NEPAD’s continent-wide agriculturaldevelopment effort at the national level.Jacobs et al. compare NGO approaches as mechanisms to promote thesocioeconomic development of rural populations in the Jos Plateau in Nigeria. Theyargue that the strength of NGOs is their ability to listen to and address felt needs.The analysis highlights the desire of rural populations for programs that focus onhealth and sanitation rather than merely focusing on agricultural development.The following set of three articles on Ethiopian agricultural development byClark, Cafer, and Cochrane highlight the complexity of agricultural developmentat the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels. In an analysis of food and nutrition policy,Clark traces how the promotion of pulses for improved nutrition must contend withconflicting policy priorities across multiple levels of governance. Cafer dissects howthe government’s top-down approach to the promotion of production inputs andagricultural extension practices constrain the possibilities for improved smallholderproductivity. Finally, Cochrane examines how the different world views ofagricultural development advocates and smallholder farmers create barriers for thecommunication and ultimate adoption of improved technologies.The second issue of the set begins with two articles highlighting theintroduction of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Freeman andMubichi explore the potentials and uses of ICTs as sources of information andnetworking for agricultural development in Mozambique. The paper by Lawal-Adebowale examines the extent to which the use of ICT causes global inclusion ofrural populations politically, culturally, economically, and technologically.Finally, Ransom and Bain test the extent to which a livestock ownershipprogram targeting women in Uganda provides a mechanism for the improvementof women’s and household livelihoods. Their findings indicate that poorerhouseholds do not necessarily own smaller livestock, but that the number of animalsdoes increase with household income. Their data provide more insight regardingintra-household dynamics and the complexities that livestock transfer programsmust navigate.2Journal of Rural Social Sciences, Vol. 32 [2019], Iss. 1, Art. 1https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol32/iss1/1

Rural Sociologists in the Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Development

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Rural Sociologists in the Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Development

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