Transforming Tertiary Agricultural Education in Africa
Transforming Tertiary Agricultural Education in Africa

Author: David Kraybill

Publisher: CABI

Published: 2021-11-24

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 1789246547

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Enormous changes are affecting African production agriculture, urbanization, and food consumption patterns, requiring new approaches to training and knowledge generation and dissemination to achieve food security. Many agricultural universities and other tertiary agricultural education (TAE) organizations have been slow to respond, hindered by inadequate staffing and facilities and growing competition for funds. However, some African agricultural universities are transforming themselves and are achieving remarkable success. This book documents successful approaches to remaking TAE in Africa to inspire leaders, both formal and informal, of other TAE organizations. It emphasises adaptive strategies and processes creating an internal culture driven by stakeholder needs and where organizational transformation improves the quality and relevance of teaching, research, and outreach. The chapters cover the role of TAE in agricultural transformation, trends in TAE in Africa, solutions to the rigour-versus-relevance dilemma, curriculum design informed by actual and emerging labour market conditions, innovation and entrepreneurship, TAE quality assurance, and networking among TAE institutions.

Conservation Agriculture in Africa
Conservation Agriculture in Africa

Author: Saidi Mkomwa

Publisher: CABI

Published: 2022-01-11

Total Pages: 537

ISBN-13: 1789245745

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Tillage agriculture has led to widespread soil and ecosystem degradation globally, and more particularly in the developing regions. This is especially so in Africa where traditional agricultural practices have become unsustainable due to severe exploitation of natural resources with negative impacts on the environment and food system. In addition, agricultural land use in Africa today faces major challenges including increased costs, climate change and a need to transform to more sustainable production intensification systems. Conservation Agriculture has emerged as a major alternative sustainable climate smart agriculture approach in Africa and has spread to many African countries in the past decade as more development and research, including in sustainable mechanization, has enabled its extension and uptake. It is key to transforming Africa's agriculture and food system given its ability to restore soil health, biodiversity and productivity of millions of smallholder farms as well as larger-scale farms. This book is aimed at all agricultural stakeholders in the public, private and civil sectors in Africa engaged in supporting the transformation of conventional tillage agriculture to Conservation Agriculture. The book will be of interest to: researchers, academics, students, development stakeholders, public and private sector investors and policy makers as well as institutional libraries across the world.

Non-formal Education for Training in Integrated Production and Pest Management in Farmer Field Schools
Non-formal Education for Training in Integrated Production and Pest Management in Farmer Field Schools

Author: Albert D. K. Amedzro

Publisher: Ghana University Press

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 138

ISBN-13:

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Non-formal education is an important aspect of training for agricultural extension agents and farmers. This study written as a field guide draws on long experiences of national integration production and pest management programmes in Asian countries, where the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation developed its concepts. By appropriately adapting these concepts to local field and farming situations in Ghana, the guide provides basic topics and exercises to enable the incorporation of non-formal education into training for farmers in West Africa. The guide gives additional information on the general principles of adult learning, methodology of non-formal education, teamwork, leadership and decision-making.

An evolving paradigm of agricultural mechanization development: How much can Africa learn from Asia?
An evolving paradigm of agricultural mechanization development: How much can Africa learn from Asia?

Author: Diao, Xinshen, ed.

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2020-12-07

Total Pages: 548

ISBN-13: 0896293807

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Agricultural mechanization in Africa south of the Sahara — especially for small farms and businesses — requires a new paradigm to meet the needs of the continent’s evolving farming systems. Can Asia, with its recent success in adopting mechanization, offer a model for Africa? An Evolving Paradigm of Agricultural Mechanization Development analyzes the experiences of eight Asian and five African countries. The authors explore crucial government roles in boosting and supporting mechanization, from import policies to promotion policies to public good policies. Potential approaches presented to facilitating mechanization in Africa include prioritizing market-led hiring services, eliminating distortions, and developing appropriate technologies for the African context. The role of agricultural mechanization within overall agricultural and rural transformation strategies in Africa is also discussed. The book’s recommendations and insights should be useful to national policymakers and the development community, who can adapt this knowledge to local contexts and use it as a foundation for further research.

Evolution of Agricultural Services in Sub-Saharan Africa
Evolution of Agricultural Services in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author: Venkatachalam Venkatesan

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 1998-01-01

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 9780821342596

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This paper traces the evolution of World Bank support to agricultural services, particularly agricultural extension and research in Sub-Saharan Africa. It describes the Bank's experience with the implementation of national programs in agricultural extension and research and how these are evolving to face the problems of the future. The paper concludes that participation of the beneficiaries in the design and implementation of programs is critical and will ensure the programs' convergence towards rural development.