Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
; History & Philosophy Of Science
; Sociology
WOS研究方向:
Agriculture
; History & Philosophy of Science
; Sociology
英文摘要:
How to engage farmers that have limited formal education is at the foundation of environmentally-sound and equitable agricultural development. Yet there are few examples of curricula that support the co-development of knowledge with farmers. While transdisciplinary and participatory techniques are considered key components of agroecology, how to do so is rarely specified and few materials are available, especially those relevant to smallholder farmers with limited formal education in Sub-Saharan Africa. The few training materials that exist provide appropriate methods, such as compost making, but do not explain relationships and synergies between nutrition, social inequalities, climate change and agroecology. Some food sovereignty and agroecology courses aim at popular political education for those with more formal education. Here we describe the process of development of an innovative curriculum, which integrates agroecology, nutrition, climate change, gender and other dimensions of social equity across 2weeks of training explicitly for smallholders in southern Africa with limited formal education. The curriculum is highly participatory; we use concepts in popular education, transformative and experiential-based learning, and theatre. It is also integrative; we link agroecology with climate change, human and soil nutrition, gender, and related components of social equity. Developed in partnership with Malawian farmers, community development experts and academics from five countries, the curriculum was piloted with 520 smallholder farming households in Malawi and Tanzania, and evaluated using qualitative techniques. Clashes of language, cultural norms, and terminology were as great of a challenge as agreeing on and conveying technical information, to weave into a coherent whole. However, farmers who participated in the curriculum training demonstrated high interest, comprehension of material and interest in immediate application to their lives.
1.Cornell Univ, Dept Dev Sociol, 262 Warren Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA 2.Northwestern Univ, Dept Anthropol, 515 Clark St, Evanston, IL 60208 USA 3.Cornell Univ, Dept Commun, 498 Mann Lib, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA 4.Cornell Univ, Div Nutr Sci, S-2072 Schurman Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA 5.Univ Malawi, Dept Fine & Performing Arts, POB 280, Zomba, Malawi 6.Univ Manitoba, Dept Plant Sci, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada 7.Soils Food & Hlth Communities, POB 36, Ekwendeni, Malawi 8.Michigan State Univ, Community Sustainabil, 480 Wilson Rd, E Lansing, MI 48824 USA 9.Cornell Univ, Sch Integrat Plant Sci, 135 Plant Sci Bldg, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA 10.Michigan State Univ, Dept Plant Soil & Microbial Sci, 1066 Bogue St, E Lansing, MI 48824 USA
Recommended Citation:
Kerr, Rachel Bezner,Young, Sera L.,Young, Carrie,et al. Farming for change: developing a participatory curriculum on agroecology, nutrition, climate change and social equity in Malawi and Tanzania[J]. AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN VALUES,2019-01-01,36(3):549-566