Globalisation and Small-Scale Farming in Africa: What role for Information Centres? Dr

Globalisation aims at bringing the world closer like a global village. But it has not had much impact on small-scale farming communities in Africa due to several barriers. These include illiteracy which hinders access to printed and electronic information; poverty which does not allow farmers to have the purchasing power to acquire equipment, such as television sets, radio sets, computer, etc, that would enable them benefit from globalisation; and the lack of basic infrastructure, such as adequate electricity supply and communication facilities. The obstacles faced by the farming communities would disable them from accessing latest innovations in farming practices. This paper proposes the setting up of information centres throughout the rural Africa, where majority of small scale farmers live.