Policy Research on African Agriculture: Trends, Gaps, and Challenges
نویسنده
چکیده
The central argument in this report is that most policy research on African agriculture is irrelevant to agricultural and overall economic policy in Africa, and that the policy research community—and the agricultural economics profession in particular—must shoulder a significant part of the blame for this state of affairs. A wide-ranging review of recent research reveals that agricultural economists have failed to put Africa’s agricultural problems on the policy agenda in more than abstract fashions. We have failed to come to grips adequately with the real problems facing agricultural policymakers, namely, how to assess the operational feasibility of alternative policy options, and how to promote the feasibility of the most highly valued alternatives. A different approach to agricultural policy research is therefore suggested, built more on ”how” questions and less on “what” questions and “why” questions. Implications of such an approach for research design and conduct are drawn. Piloting action research in case studies of initiatives involving promising institutional innovations offers scope for identifying convincing “how” answers. To implement such approaches, agricultural economists and other policy researchers require new skills and partnerships.
منابع مشابه
Challenges for Policy Makers and Organizational Leaders: Addressing Trends in Mental Health Inequalities
We typically think of acutely and chronically mentally ill patients as those who belong in psychiatric hospitals and the latter category of patients belonging in “regular” hospitals, but the intersection of physical and mental illness draws attention to important challenges for policy-makers and organizational leaders. This article illuminates some broad trends in the health status of people wi...
متن کاملAfrican Perspectives on Progress and Challenges in Transforming Agriculture To Help Cut Hunger and Poverty
key findings from the two most recent workshops and draws on (1) Staatz, John M. and Moussa Batchily Ba. 1996. Fostering Agricultural and Food System Transformation in Africa. Policy Synthesis Number 13. East Lansing: Michigan State University; and (2) Argwings-Kodhek, Gem, T.S. Jayne, and Isaac Minde. 1999. African Perspectives on Progress and Challenges in Agricultural Transformation. Policy ...
متن کاملSocial Science Studies on European and African Agriculture Compared: Bringing Together Different Strands of Academic Debate on GM Crops
This study explored the social science-orientated literature on genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe and compared it with the corresponding literature on GM crops in African contexts, in order to determine the nature and extent of north-south cross-fertilisation in the literature. A total of 1625 papers on GM crops and agriculture falling within the ‘social science and humanities’ subject ...
متن کاملSustainable development and environmental challenges in Cameroon’s mining sector: A review
Cameroon has a strong geological potential for a number of mineral resources that, if well managed, could support economic growth. The country contains potentially large deposits of iron ore, gold, bauxite, diamond, limestone, nickel, and gemstones, and indices of other numerous minerals and precious metals. Despite its geological wealth, mining has never played a major role in Cameroon’s econo...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
دوره شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2003