SOUTHERN AFRICA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FSR/E
The SADC countries have much to offer with their experiences in working with resource-poor farmers. Their professionals and technicians, like the black people of South Africa and Namibia, not only have an understanding of the resource-poor farming conditions but have an array of local languages and an understanding of the customs. They mostly grew up under these conditions themselves. Too often they are ignored for the expertise of the 'quick-fix' option. Sharing these two worlds of knowledge in a 'participatory' manner could cause profound change and is one of the major challenges facing FSR/E. There are five apparent FSR/E challenges facing southern Africa. For South Africa the challenge is reorientation of research and extension toward the farming systems approach to serve the needs of its previously marginalized 'smallholders'. For Mozambique and Angola it is to rebuild research and extension capacity. For the other SADC countries it is to find effective mechanisms to link into the technical resources of the South African national research system. For SAAFSR/E* the challenge is to promote networking by the means at its disposal, that is its dedicated members who willingly give of their time. For the international donor community the challenge is to facilitate the process of reconstruction taking place across the sub-regions with all the resources at its disposal. Ultimately, the priority of the sub-region is to develop its own human resource capacity in order to stand on its own feet. The means to attain this is through training and effective networking. This is currently the top priority within which scientific problems and related methodological issues need to be addressed. Ted Stilwel Secretary/Treasurer, Southern African Association for Farming Systems Research/Extension. *Southern African Association for Farming Systems Research/Extension.
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| Format: | News Item biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
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Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
1995
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/47024 http://collections.infocollections.org/ukedu/en/d/Jcta56e/ |
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