Rural Development

Sustainable Livelihoods and Rural Development

Sustainable Livelihoods and Rural Development

If you are looking for an accessible introduction to research within thew broad umbrella of livelihoods that is well researched and provides a clear outline of what we have learned and what we need to know more about, this is it. Ian Scoones book “Sustainable Livelihoods and Rural Development” (2015) would do well for undergraduates […]

Tags: #Development Studies #Ian Scoones #Livelihoods #Rural Development #Sustainable Livelihoods

Thought Provokers
Rural Development Options

Rural Development Options

In 1990, Ethiopia was on the cusp of a major transition. The military government was on the way out and the EPRDF would come to power in the following year. It was in this year that “Ethiopia: Options for Rural Development” (1990), edited by Siegfried Pausewang, Fantu Cheru, Stefan Brune and Estetu Chole, was published. […]

Tags: #Development Studies #Ethiopia #Fantu Cheru #Rural Development #Siegfried Pausewang

Thought Provokers
Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia

Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia

“Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia: State Policy and Smallholder Farming” (2018) edited by Atakilte Beyene is an excellent book on diverse components of the agricultural sector. Given the importance of agriculture in Ethiopia, this is an important addition as there are few books that cover the sector comprehensively (several are available that cover specific components). The introduction by Atakilte […]

Tags: #Agriculture #Atakilte Beyene #Ethiopia #Rural Development #Smallholder farming

Thought Provokers
False Start in Africa (1962)

False Start in Africa (1962)

Rene Dumont’s “False Start in Africa” (1962) is arguably one of the most influential and widely read texts on agriculture in Africa. The book is more of a conversation, than it is an academic text. However, Dumont was a pioneering voice for identifying key issues such as soil erosion, micronutrient deficiencies, soil type and quality […]

Tags: #Africa #Agriculture #False Start in Africa #Rene Dumont #Rural Development

Thought Provokers

New Publication: Worldviews Apart: Agriculture Extension and Smallholder Farmers

Cochrane, L. (2017) Worldviews Apart: Agriculture Extension and Ethiopian Smallholder Farmers. Journal of Rural Social Sciences 32: 98-118. Abstract: This paper presents an inquiry-based learning assessment into why farmers in the highlands of Ethiopia were not adopting a new planting methodology promoted by the government and non-governmental organizations. It offers a process of reflexivity whereby assumptions […]

Tags: #Agricultural extension #Agriculture #Ethiopia #Rural Development #Worldviews

Research

Doctoral Dissertation: Strengthening Food Security in Rural Ethiopia

Cochrane, L. 2017. Strengthening Food Security in Rural Ethiopia. Doctoral Dissertation, University of British Columbia.  Abstract: Food insecurity in rural areas of southern Ethiopia is widespread; in recent years over half of all communities in this region have been reliant upon emergency support. However, food security status varies significantly from year to year, as the […]

Tags: #Coproduction #Ethiopia #Food Security #Rural Development #Strengthening food security

Research

New Publication: Debt & Rural Development (Ethiopia)

Cochrane, L. and Thornton, A. (2017) A Socio-Cultural Analysis of Smallholder Borrowing and Debt in Southern Ethiopia. Journal of Rural Studies 49: 69-77. Abstract This paper combines qualitative and quantitative research methods in an exploratory study of borrowing and debt in rural southern Ethiopia in order to understand the complexities of the rural finance system […]

Tags: #Debt #Development Studies #Ethiopia #Indebtedness #Rural Development

Research
Putting the Last First

Putting the Last First

In 1983 Robert Chambers published “Rural Development: Putting the Last First.” If you have not come across this book, it is well worth finding a copy. As a book written more than three decades ago, it offers some perspective on what lessons have been learned. However, this book is particularly challenging to read as you […]

Tags: #Academia #Bias #Development Studies #International development #Rural Development

Thought Provokers
Resources on Seasonality

Resources on Seasonality

Robert Chambers states that “As a dimension of poverty, seasonality is as glaringly obvious as it is still grossly neglected. Attempts to embed its recognition in professional mindsets, policy and practices have still a long way to go” (Chambers, 2012: xv; in the Forward of Devereux, Sabates-Wheeler and Longhurst, 2012). This quote comes from an […]

Tags: #Agriculture #Food Security #Livelihoods #Rural Development #Seasonality

Thought Provokers