This paper describes urban farming in Nairobi, Kenya: its magnitude and characteristics, its importance for those involved, the constraints faced by urban farmers, the impact of urban farming on... Show moreThis paper describes urban farming in Nairobi, Kenya: its magnitude and characteristics, its importance for those involved, the constraints faced by urban farmers, the impact of urban farming on the environment, the legal and institutional setting, and the prospects for urban farming. The paper is based on four studies carried out in Nairobi by Diana Lee-Smith et al. (1984-1985), Donald Freeman (1987), Alice Mboganie Mwangi (1994), and Pascale Dennery (1994) Show less
For a sizeable portion of Kenya's coastal population food security is not assured. Furthermore, the current food pattern, which relies heavily on maize and cassava, is lacking in dietary quality... Show moreFor a sizeable portion of Kenya's coastal population food security is not assured. Furthermore, the current food pattern, which relies heavily on maize and cassava, is lacking in dietary quality and variety. This results in nutritional problems among the population which are partly hidden, but which surface most clearly among vulnerable groups such as women and children. These problems can be partly prevented by appropriate caring behaviour. This paper, which is partly based on research carried out in the Coastal Region in 1985-1986, describes food habits, food availability and food adequacy in rural households, energy and nutrient intake by food groups and households, and the nutritional status of children. The final sections examine nutrition programmes and interventions in the Kenya Coast area by governmental and nongovernmental organizations Show less
This report presents the findings of research conducted between December 1996 and December 1997 in two villages, Kweminyasa and Lukozi, in Lushoto District, Tanzania, and comprising a general... Show moreThis report presents the findings of research conducted between December 1996 and December 1997 in two villages, Kweminyasa and Lukozi, in Lushoto District, Tanzania, and comprising a general broad survey of individuals to determine the pattern of nonagricultural activities over time, a survey of existing nonagricultural enterprises, a survey of Standard Seven schoolchildren's career expectations and attitudes towards work, and an in-depth survey of career patterns of different generations within selected households. The study found a growing incidence of engagement in nonfarm activities beginning in the 1980s, especially as land became scarcer and returns from agriculture stagnated, increasing outmigration of the youthful male population to other districts in the lowlands and urban areas, and declining circular migration to such large towns as Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Moshi and Arusha. Show less
This report presents the findings of research carried out between December 1996 and December 1997 in two villages (Igosi and Mtwango-Lunguya) in Njombe District, Tanzania. The study is one of four... Show moreThis report presents the findings of research carried out between December 1996 and December 1997 in two villages (Igosi and Mtwango-Lunguya) in Njombe District, Tanzania. The study is one of four regional studies on agricultural and non-agricultural activities and their change over time within Tanzanian villages. As such there was a standardized research methodology that is outlined in the Appendix. It involved a general broad survey of individuals within the selected villages to determine the pattern of non-agricultural activities over time, a survey of existing non-agricultural enterprises within the village, a survey of Standard Seven school children's career expectations and attitudes towards work, and an in-depth survey of career patterns of different generations within selected households. The report is divided into three main sections - background about the study area, village profiles, and survey findings regarding the local economy, agricultural and non-agricultural production, migration patterns, associational ties, social relations between generations and prospects for agricultural development - followed by a conclusion which includes an analytical summary of findings and recommendations arising from the research. Show less
This working paper examines the changing lifestyle in rural Sukumaland, Kwimba District, Tanzania. It shows that farming in Sukumaland constitutes an economic livelihood and a social identity. The... Show moreThis working paper examines the changing lifestyle in rural Sukumaland, Kwimba District, Tanzania. It shows that farming in Sukumaland constitutes an economic livelihood and a social identity. The value of man is in food production and land is distributed at the family level through the traditional land tenure system. However, land has inceasingly become scarce due to population pressure and migration flows of people to other areas are on the increase. Investment is no longer directed at building up livestock and farms which traditionally were a source of pride and prestige. Among youth, investment is largely directed towards better housing and trade rather than to cattle and farming. The attitudes of youth to farming are a clear indicator of the shrinking agricultural sector, at least in terms of investments and labour allocation. Show less
The author concentrates on virtuality, which he has come to regard as one of the key concepts for characterizing and understanding the forms of globalization in Africa. Chapters 1 and 2 define... Show moreThe author concentrates on virtuality, which he has come to regard as one of the key concepts for characterizing and understanding the forms of globalization in Africa. Chapters 1 and 2 define virtuality and globalization and provisionally indicate their theoretical relationship. The problematic heritage of an anthropological tradition obsessed with locality provides the analytical framework within which virtuality makes an inspiring topic, as argued in Ch. 3. Ch. 4 offers a transition from theory to empirical case studies by examining the problem of meaning in the African urban environment. Ch. 5 evokes an ethnographic situation (urban puberty rites in present-day Zambia) that illustrates particular forms of virtuality as part of the globalization process. Ch. 6 applies the emerging insights into virtuality and the virtual village to Ren‚ Devisch's notion of villagization as a major process of societal transformation in the Zairian capital, Kinshasa. Ch. 7 explores the applicability of the same concepts to recent patterns of witchcraft and healing as studied, at the national level in Cameroon and Malawi, by Peter Geschiere and Matthew Schoffeleers respectively. The author's own earlier work on the Kazanga festival as an instance of virtuality in the rural context of western central Zambia is summarized in Ch. 8, after which a conclusion rounds off the argument. Show less
This paper examines the interaction of agricultural and nonagricultural activities in Mutoko communal area, Mashonaland East Province, Zimbabwe. It looks at three particular issues arising from... Show moreThis paper examines the interaction of agricultural and nonagricultural activities in Mutoko communal area, Mashonaland East Province, Zimbabwe. It looks at three particular issues arising from the interaction of farming households' agricultural and nonagricultural activities. First, how do farm households value different kinds of activities and what dilemmas do they face when choosing occupations? Second, how do historical and cultural institutions and values affect the economic behaviour of farm households in communal areas? Third, how does household income diversification influence productivity? The paper looks especially at aspects of agricultural productivity. By relating present household food insecurity and poverty in communal areas to the national goal of increasing agricultural exports, the author hopes that the answers to these questions may offer insights into microlevel and macrolevel costs and the benefits of household income diversification. Show less
This paper analyses a selection of the literature that has been published on the relationship between the development of food trade and urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa. The evolution of food... Show moreThis paper analyses a selection of the literature that has been published on the relationship between the development of food trade and urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa. The evolution of food marketing systems and the urbanization process are described in three phases: the precolonial period, the colonial period, and the postindependence period. The paper concludes that the evolution of food trade and urbanization have been closely interlinked from the beginning. Sometimes urbanization was the cause and food trade the consequence, at other times both were the consequence of external factors such as intercontinental trade and colonial policies. The evolution of marketing channels and the location of market places have been determined not only by population developments, but also by existing agroecological and ethnic boundaries, emerging national entities, changing government policies, and local social values. Show less
In Africa, agriculture still dominates, but its relative share has been declining since the 1970s, without any prior increase in agricultural productivity or in urban employment. A process of 'de... Show moreIn Africa, agriculture still dominates, but its relative share has been declining since the 1970s, without any prior increase in agricultural productivity or in urban employment. A process of 'de-agrarianization' can be observed in the rural areas involving 1) livelihood reorientation, 2) occupational adjustment, and 3) spatial realignment of human settlement away from strictly agrarian patterns. This publication provides highlights of the papers and discussions which took place during a workshop organized in Leiden in May 1994 to consider the implications of de-agrarianization for sub-Saharan Africa. The publication is divided into a thematic section and nine regional sections: the Sahel, Ethiopia, Ghana and Zaire, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Zimbabwe, South Africa, pan-territorial issues. Show less
This paper questions the assumptions of the rural technology debate, reassessing if and how technological interventions and initiatives are potentially valuable to rural women in sub-Saharan Africa... Show moreThis paper questions the assumptions of the rural technology debate, reassessing if and how technological interventions and initiatives are potentially valuable to rural women in sub-Saharan Africa. This entails examining what kinds of technologies are being promoted, and for whom they are being introduced, with comparisons drawn from the Green Revolution experience in South Asia. The first section of the paper discusses rural African women's work regimes, factors contributing to the intensification of African women's workday, and the contraction of African women's access to community-held resources. An assessment of the different purposes and phases in the development and spread of rural technology and its impact on women producers follows. The concluding sections consider the overall utility of rural technology intitiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, emphasizing the challenges that women's severe lack of time and money pose for their appropriate design and distribution. Show less
Sub-Saharan Africa is steadily becoming less rural in character. For decades development thinking has prescribed industrialization as the virtuous path leading away from economic dependence on... Show moreSub-Saharan Africa is steadily becoming less rural in character. For decades development thinking has prescribed industrialization as the virtuous path leading away from economic dependence on agriculture. The present paper rejects the view that rural or even national industrialization has taken place or is likely to take place in sub-Saharan Africa in the immediate future. The author argues that the preconditions for this happening are largely absent. She proposes an alternative perspective centred on the process of 'de-agrarianization' and attendant rural employment generation. De-agrarianization is defined as a process of economic activity reorientation, occupational adjustment and spatial realignment of human settlement away from agrarian patterns. The most overt manifestations of this process are a diminishing degree of rural household food and basic needs self-sufficiency, a decline in agricultural labour effort relative to nonagricultural labour in total national labour expenditure, a decrease in agricultural output per capita relative to nonagricultural output, and a shrinking proportion of population residing in rural areas. A research programme on de-agrarianization and rural employment generation in Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa and Nigeria is proposed. (Abbreviated and revised version in: World Development, vol. 24, no. 1 (1996, pages 97-111). Show less
This paper examines the interface between work conditions of rural women in Africa and Western perceptions and interventions to address them. From a schematic review of Western attitudes towards... Show moreThis paper examines the interface between work conditions of rural women in Africa and Western perceptions and interventions to address them. From a schematic review of Western attitudes towards African rural women's work, the paper moves on to consider donor intervention directed at improving rural women's status. The central question posed is how external donor agenciescan extend beyond localized project efforts to provide the material foundation for facilitating widespread change in women's working day of a self-determing nature. A 'homestead economics' approach is suggested as a catalyst for change. In this programme, women's labour constraints rather than income generation is given precendence. Furthermore, teenage girls would be specially targetted for training and income generating activities, with emphasis on creating new economic and social expectations. It is argued that changes in young women's attitudes and skills could have a far-reaching effect Show less
Much has been written on African peasantries in general and on 'peasant wars' in Africa in particular, and yet there is a remarkable gap in the existing literature. On the one hand, literature on... Show moreMuch has been written on African peasantries in general and on 'peasant wars' in Africa in particular, and yet there is a remarkable gap in the existing literature. On the one hand, literature on peasant wars in general tends to ignore Africa South of the Sahara; on the other hand, none of the studies of specific African peasantries have probed their material in the light of the more general debates. The present paper tries to remedy this anomalous situation. It first discusses two general theories on the revolutionary potential of different categories of peasants, viz. the theory developed by H. Alavi (1965) and E.R. Wolf (1973) and that proposed by J.M. Paige (1975). It then examines these theories in light of some examples of peasant unrest from Africa, notably Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Chad, Madagascar, Angola, and Kenya. The analysis suggests that neither theory is able to account for all the cases examined. Show less
The economic policy of structural adjustment, which was initiated in most African countries during the 1980s, posed a serious threat to agricultural marketing boards in sub-Saharan Africa. Two... Show moreThe economic policy of structural adjustment, which was initiated in most African countries during the 1980s, posed a serious threat to agricultural marketing boards in sub-Saharan Africa. Two elements of structural adjustment were particularly ominous: 'privatization' threatened the continued existence of marketing boards as public enterprises, and the 'liberalization of trade' worsened the conditions under which they operated. On the basis of an extensive study of the literature, this report examines what actually happened to 39 marketing boards in 18 countries. The period covered is January 1980 till December 1989. The results, presented partly in the form of tables and partly as case studies, show that most marketing boards have survived but that their scope has been reduced. The case studies deal with the Office national de commercialisation des produits de base (ONCPB) in Cameroon, the Cotton Board of Kenya (CBK), the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) in Malawi, Senegal's Office national de coopération et d'assistance pour le développement (ONCAD), the Société nationale de commercialisation des oléagineux du Sénégal (Sonacos), and the National Milling Corporation (NMC) in Tanzania. Show less
In 1976 a start was made with the setting up of a system of district planning based on consultation with the people at the village level. The intention was to replace a system of purely "top-down"... Show moreIn 1976 a start was made with the setting up of a system of district planning based on consultation with the people at the village level. The intention was to replace a system of purely "top-down" planning with a system including strong elements of "bottom-up" planning. The present report describes the changes that took place between 1976 and 1980. It focusses on the integration at the district level of information from the consultation into the planning process. The linking of planning with consultation as a basis for the wider development of nonformal education in Botswana is also considered. In Botswana, the district planning system has developed a social services infrastructure focus and within these boundaries the district planning system does work. But it does not work when it comes to tackling Botswana's main problems - the increasing rural impoverishment and lack of productive employment for most Botswana. Show less
Rouveroy Van Nieuwaal, E.A.B. van; Rouveroy Van Nieuwaal-Baerends, E.A. van 1982
Cette étude aborde la question de l'acquisition de droits sur la terre, tels que ceux-ci ont été mis au grand jour au cours du développement et du réglement d'un litige portant sur l'utilisation d... Show moreCette étude aborde la question de l'acquisition de droits sur la terre, tels que ceux-ci ont été mis au grand jour au cours du développement et du réglement d'un litige portant sur l'utilisation d'une parcelle située dans la ville de N'zara, chef-lieu de la circonscription de Mango, dans le nord du Togo. Après une présentation détaillée des antécédents, qui expose en particulier les relations sociales unissant les deux parties (le propriétaire et l'utilisateur du terrain), les auteurs dévrivent la manière dont le litige est réglé, une première fois par l'autorité coutumière suprême de la localité (le Chef Supérieur), en 1971, et une deuxième fois par le Juge de Paix, en 1972. Cette description est suivie d'un aperçu des événements locaux qui se déroulent jusque'en 1978 et qui influent sur l'évolution de litige. Dans le situation présente, on voit l'application de différents systèmes juridiques par différentes instances judiciaires qui représentent divers systèmes de droit, et l'emploi sélectif de moyens judiciaires par les justiciables. Show less
This medium-sized irrigation project was one of the schemes undertaken to bring about structural changes in the colonial export economy and to bridge regional inequalities. The paper aims to... Show moreThis medium-sized irrigation project was one of the schemes undertaken to bring about structural changes in the colonial export economy and to bridge regional inequalities. The paper aims to demonstrate first why producers of use-values and migrant labourers should be transformed into producers of commodities and how this transformation was achieved. It then tries to explain the reasons for the consequent various changes in the organisation of cash crop production in the project and to analyse the various ways peasants' labour is controlled and exploited. Finally it shows reaction and action of peasants on the loss of control over the means of production, the production process and the terms of exchange. Show less
Rouveroy Van Nieuwaal-Baerends, E.A.; Rouveroy Van Nieuwaal, E.A.B. van 1981
Les auteurs présentent leurs idées sur le sens de la conciliation dans le cadre du réglement d'un litige, afin de poser ainsi les premiers jalons d'une éventuelle étude comparative des procédures... Show moreLes auteurs présentent leurs idées sur le sens de la conciliation dans le cadre du réglement d'un litige, afin de poser ainsi les premiers jalons d'une éventuelle étude comparative des procédures de conciliation dans diverses sociétés. Show less
Une première exploration, limitée à quelques pays africains et européens. De la relation entre l'État et la langue deux aspects juridiques sont traités: les possibilités de participation pour le... Show moreUne première exploration, limitée à quelques pays africains et européens. De la relation entre l'État et la langue deux aspects juridiques sont traités: les possibilités de participation pour le citoyen et la protection offerte par l'État aux habitants qui parlent une langue autre que la langue officielle. Show less
