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2. Assessing participatory practices in community-based natural resource management: Experiences in community engagement from southern Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Dyer, J. (author), Stringer, L.C. (author), Dougill, A.J. (author), Leventon, J. (author), Nshimbi, M. (author), Chama, F. (author), Kafwifwi, A. (author), Muledi, J.I. (author), Kaumbu, J.-M.K. (author), Falcao, M. (author), Muhorro, S. (author), Munyemba, F. (author), Kalaba, G.M. (author), and Syampungani, S. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-05-01
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10619
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Environmental Management
- Journal Title Details:
- 137: 137-145
- Notes:
- 9 pages., via online journal., The emphasis on participatory environmental management within international development has started to overcome critiques of traditional exclusionary environmental policy, aligning with shifts towards decentralisation and community empowerment. However, questions are raised regarding the extent to which participation in project design and implementation is meaningful and really engages communities in the process. Calls have been made for further local-level (project and community-scale) research to identify practices that can increase the likelihood of meaningful community engagement within externally initiated projects. This paper presents data from three community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) project case studies from southern Africa, which promote Joint Forest Management (JFM), tree planting for carbon and conservation agriculture. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, community-level meetings, focus groups and interviews. We find that an important first step for a meaningful community engagement process is to define ‘community’ in an open and participatory manner. Two-way communication at all stages of the community engagement process is shown to be critical, and charismatic leadership based on mutual respect and clarity of roles and responsibilities is vital to improve the likelihood of participants developing understanding of project aims and philosophy. This can lead to successful project outcomes through community ownership of the project goals and empowerment in project implementation. Specific engagement methods are found to be less important than the contextual and environmental factors associated with each project, but consideration should be given to identifying appropriate methods to ensure community representation. Our findings extend current thinking on the evaluation of participation by making explicit links between the community engagement process and project outcomes, and by identifying further criteria that can be considered in process and outcome-based evaluations. We highlight good practices for future CBNRM projects which can be used by project designers and initiators to further the likelihood of successful project outcomes.
3. Assessment of factors influencing the adoption of improved crop management practices (ICMP) by smallholder farmers in the Boane District, Mozambique
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Da Encarnação Tomo M., Zwane (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- unknown
- Published:
- South Africa: South African Society for Agricultural Extension
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11897
- Journal Title:
- South African Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 48
- Notes:
- 14 pages, This paper seeks to assess the factors influencing the adoption of the improved crop management practices (ICMP) in Boane District in Mozambique. The study was carried out using a qualitative survey method with a semi-structured interview schedule. Regression analysis and Pearson correlations were used to analyse the factors, constraints, and opportunities influencing the adoption of the improved crop management practices. The study covered a sample of 50 households. The results of the study show that the majority of the farmers (68%) in the Boane District adopted the improved crop management practices, compared to those who did not adopt them (32%). According to the logistic regression analysis, two factors (age and access to credit) were significant (p<0.05) at the 5% level of significance with the adoption of ICMP, meaning that age and access to credit have an influence on the adoption of the improved crop management practices in the Boane District. The study recommended that the Agricultural Development Fund and the district development should solve the challenge of low financial investments, which is the major problem of most smallholder farmers, limiting their response to the production process, and to adopting the improved crop management practices in the Boane District.
4. Communication strategies in the age of decentralisation and privatisation of rural services: lessons from two African experiences
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Ramírez, Ricardo (author) and Quarry, Wendy (author)
- Format:
- Newsletter article
- Publication Date:
- 2004-07
- Published:
- Agricultural Research & Extension Network
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 8 Document Number: D10319
- Journal Title:
- AgREN Newsletter
- Notes:
- 20 pages., Via online newsletter article., This paper describes the challenges of decentralisation and privatisation of rural services from the perspective of communication strategy development. The wave of decentralisation and privatisation in rural services worldwide creates challenges for rural communities, service providers and local governments. Local organisations – both in government and civil society – are confronted with rules and procedures that are unprecedented. The new roles require significant changes in attitudes, skills, and especially a new level of accountability. While communication strategies are only a part of the transformation, they are strategic tools that merit attention. This is an account of two cases where the authors have been involved in developing communication strategies aimed specifically at helping stakeholders make this transition. The first is the case of the Communication and Information Strategy for the National Agricultural Advisory Services Programme (NAADS) of Uganda. The second is the formulation of a plan to communicate the National Water Policy (NWP) and Rural Water Transition Plan in Mozambique. The paper concludes with some design principles for other strategies and with a review of the importance of communication research and planning.
5. Is Agricultural Extension Helping the Poor? Evidence from Rural Mozambique
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Cunguara, Benedito (author) and Moder, Karl (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2011-05-11
- Published:
- International: Oxford Academic
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12490
- Journal Title:
- Journal of African Economies
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 20 (4)
- Notes:
- 35 pages, Mozambique remains predominantly poor. The official statistics show that poverty incidence barely changed from 54% in 2002–03 to 55% in 2008–09, which stands way above the government's target of 45% by the year 2009. This places the country off-target to cut hunger and poverty by half by 2015, despite an annual economic growth of about 7% in the period 1994–2010. In rural areas, poverty levels have slightly increased, due to the underperformance of the agricultural sector. Extension services can have a significant impact on poverty reduction through stimulating growth in agricultural productivity. Based on a nationally representative household survey from Mozambique, this paper uses three econometric models, namely an OLS regression, the doubly robust estimator and matching and regression to estimate the economic impact of receipt of extension. The results suggest that the receipt of extension increases farm incomes by 12%. However, rather than crafting resource-poor technologies, extension services tend to target wealthier households who are relatively more likely to adopt the existing technologies. This might increase income inequality. The impact of extension, and therefore its contribution to poverty reduction, can be enhanced through several mechanisms (e.g., programme design and the number of staff).
6. Will digital technologies transform agriculture in developing countries?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Deichmann, Uwe (author), Goyal, Aparajita (author), and Mishra, Deepak (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2016
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 164 Document Number: D08261
- Journal Title:
- Agricultural Economics
- Journal Title Details:
- 47 Supplement, 21-33
- Notes:
- Focuses on results in World Development Report 2016: Digital Divide, published by the World Bank.