The problem with which this study is concerned is the description of changes in Nigeria that result from agricultural developments during the precolonial period to the present time. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between agriculture and other institutions, and the effect of agricultural change upon social phenomena such as population growth, family, industrialization, urbanization, and education. The Nigerian agricultural institution may be divided into three periods: the precolonial, the colonial, and the Republican agricultural eras. The data were obtained from published research reports, United Nations reports, government documents, newsletters, and economic journals. Primarily descriptive in nature, the thesis consists of six chapters. Emphasis was placed upon the historical development of Nigerian agriculture and the reciprocal impact between it and other Nigerian institutions.

In recent years there has been a growing literature that advocates various forms of participatory development. This is illustrated by the promotion of approaches/tools such as participatory rural appraisal (PRA), participatory technology development (PTD), and participatory process projects 1 These "new" approaches are fast taking on the form of a new generalised orthodoxy for solving development problems. It would seem from the perspective of some of the promoters of this orthodoxy that the problem of development is no longer one of not having the right approaches and methods, but one of getting recalcitrant policy makers, bureaucrats, academics to appreciate and adopt these new methods and techniques. My concerns with this new advocacy are that: i It does not relate to experience; ii It does not address issues of power structure and control over information and other resources in multiple and complex arenas of science and technology (S&T); iii By placing major emphasis on management approaches and tools, the new orthodoxy is cutting itself off from a critical reflective understanding of the deeper determinants of technical and social change. Unfortunately, I suspect that if this new orthodoxy does not develop a more critical reflective view of itself then, like previous dominant orthodoxies, it will soon have to develop a range of "escape hatches" to explain why these participatory approaches are not giving the results that their advocates promise. / AVOCADO series; v 06/95

Achieving the successful development, transfer and adoption of new agricultural technology is a popular issue in the innovation literature. Innovation diffusion and economic theory has informed this literature by emphasising the central role that technology attributes and economic rationality play in the adoption of new technology. In agricultural innovation context, research has traditionally taken a technological determinist perspective, assuming that technologies shape society and that all technological change is positive and progressive. As a result of limitations of the linear, determinist perspective of agricultural innovation to explain how new technologies are adopted and diffused, social constructivist approaches to agricultural innovation have emerged as a complement to this approach. However, a unifying framework of the social construction of new agricultural technologies has not been presented in the agricultural innovation literature. In this study Karl Weicks seven properties of sensemaking are used as the foundation for the development of a unifying conceptual framework for the examination of the social construction of agricultural technology. This thesis is a study of sensemaking in the context of agricultural innovation. It examines how participants in the Australian wool industry make sense of new technologies and how that sensemaking shapes their use of new technologies over time. The focal innovation initiative studied in this thesis is the development, transfer, adoption and abandonment of objective wool fibre testing technologies. This initiative commenced in the 1960s and has resulted in significant changes in the way that Australian wool is produced, marketed and processed. An interpretive research paradigm is adopted in this study. A theory-building case study approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis is used to capture the ongoing, iterative, enactive and social actions and interactions that occur throughout the agricultural innovation process. The case study is divided into three separate but interlocking empirical analyses which examine how industry participants' sensemaking shaped their use of wool testing technologies at the industry, technological system and individual farm level. The findings and implications of the three empirical studies in this thesis are discussed in relation to (1) the interpretation frameworks of agricultural industry participants and technology enactment, (2) the sensemaking process, (3) the social construction of shared technology frames, and (4) the social construction of industry belief systems. This study contributes to the debate on the social construction of agricultural technology and sensemaking in the innovation process by exploring the development, transfer, adoption and abandonment of new wool fibre testing technologies by industry participants over time. It builds on theoretical and empirical agricultural innovation and sensemaking research, and draws on a theoretical framework sensitive to the social construction of technology at the individual, group and industry levels. In doing so this study develops the concept of sensemaking in the agricultural innovation process as a way of deepening our understanding of how new agricultural technologies are transferred, adopted and diffused.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The objective of this study was to determine the current status of e-agriculture research in the South African context. A systematic literature review was used to gather and analyse data in alignment with the objective of the study. The researcher used keywords and combined search keywords on web search engines and digital databases to obtain pertinent research papers. The scope of the study was limited to the period 2000-2016. The books, theses, conference papers and journal articles identified as pertinent to conduct the study, amounted to 114 in number. The analysis of the study described the focus of research papers, research methods, research approaches, theoretical lenses, units of analysis and observation, levels of analysis, historical development, and major concepts and disciplines used by authors in their studies. The study also sought to discover the year of publication and assessment of searchability of the papers. The results indicate that 13 papers (11.4%) were published in the first five years (2000- 2004) and 51 papers (44.7%) in the last five years (2012-2016) of the delimited period for the study. The results of the study further indicate that the application of geographic information systems (GISs) towards improving agriculture was the most prominent eagriculture research area in South Africa (27 papers, 23.6%), followed by the use of satellite enhancing agriculture (26 papers, 22.8%). E-government direct services, mobile in agriculture, and agricultural information systems were the least prominent e-agriculture research areas in South Africa with a contribution of two papers (1.8%) each. The results of this study show that information mapping was the most used research method by researchers in their studies (57 papers, 50%), followed by the case study method with 31 papers (27.1%). The results further denote that the least used research method was industry reports with no mention of it in any of the pertinent papers, followed by grounded theory with two papers (1.7%). Interpretivism was the most used research approach by researchers (six papers, 5.2%) during the period 2000-2016. The findings of this study clearly show that researchers still need to address certain issues or problems regarding e-agriculture in South Africa in order to improve the agricultural sector. The contribution of the study is to understand the importance of enhancing research capability and socio-economic transformation of farmworkers and farmers through enhanced communication of agriculture research knowledge in the area of agricultural informatics. A foundation for further studies was created for continuous e-agriculture research in South Africa.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The main aims of this thesis were to assess the sustainability of the original Green Revolution (GR) farming methods for small-scale farmers in developing countries, to identify alternative farming methods which may be more sustainable and to comment on the New GR for Africa, currently being promoted by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). A key element of the thesis was primary research done in India, in order to gather the experience of selected small-scale farmers in that country who had converted from GR to low-external input farming methods. The experience of the farmers in India was used to highlight points made in the thesis. Both primary and secondary data were used to inform the study. Firstly, a literature review was conducted in order to assess the original GR, identify alternative farming methods and gather information on the New GR for Africa. In order to assess sustainability, a framework was developed which defined sustainability at a global level and also at the level of the individual small-scale farmer. This framework was based on a discussion of sustainable development and the sustainable livelihoods approach. Key elements of GR and alternative farming methods were identified and assessed according to this framework. Secondly, primary data was gathered in India from a group of small-scale farmers who had taken part in a programme by a nongovernmental organisation called Dharamitra. The data was collected through semistructured interviews and participant observation techniques. This data was used in order to illustrate points made in the literature review. The study concluded that many elements of farming methods from the original GR are unsustainable, both globally and at the level of the small-scale farmer. The main findings were that GR farming methods caused damage to the environment and in particular made small-scale farmers reliant on external inputs. Alternative farming methods which used organic and low external input approaches were found to enhance and preserve the environment, while at the same time being more affordable for small-scale farmers. The experience of the farmers interviewed in India confirmed these findings and provided a useful illustration of concepts presented from the literature review. Lastly, the New GR for Africa was found to present elements of the original GR which are unsustainable for small-scale farmers, especially in terms of the reliance that would be created on external inputs. The study concluded with recommendations around the need to promote farming methods to small-scale farmers which promote better care of the environment and are better able to promote sustainable livelihoods, namely organic or low external input methods. Recommendations were also made regarding the need for further research into the influence of AGRA’s policies and documentation of sustainable farming practices in Africa.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development, Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sustainable agricultural management practices have a profound impact on soil carbon sequestration. The amount of carbon that can be stored in a given soil is influenced by climate, soil type, and the quality and quantity of organic inputs. Together, the interactive effect of these factors determines the Soil Organic Content (SOC). Sustainable agricultural management practices influencing Soil Organic Matter (SOM) include application of organic amendments, conservation tillage, and use of cover crops, crop rotations, crop residue management, and nutrient management. Increasing SOC enhances soil quality, reduces soil erosion, and increases agricultural productivity with considerable on-farm and off-farm benefits. To assess how management practices affect SOC, two case studies were conducted in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra in India and Lynedoch near Stellenbosch. The first case study examined the differences in SOC content on four farms each managed with 13 different sustainable agricultural techniques and one farm managed under conventional management practices. The second case study investigated the SOC differences between an organic and a conventional vegetable farm. The results of both studies show that farms that are managed under sustainable agricultural practices generally contain higher SOC content than farms that are managed under conventional agricultural practices. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Om te bepaal hoe bestuurspraktyke Grondlikke Organise Koolstoff raak, is twee gevallestudies in die distrikte Yavatmal in Maharashtra, Indië, en Lynedoch buite Stellenbosch uitgevoer. Die eerste gevallestudie het die verskille in Grondlikke Organise Koolstoff -inhoud bekyk op vier plase waar 13 verskillende Volhoubare landboubestuurspraktyke het ‟n diepgaande impak op grondkoolstof-beslaglegging. Die hoeveelheid koolstof wat binne gegewe grond gestoor kan word, word deur klimaat, grondsoort en die gehalte en hoeveelheid organiese toevoer beïnvloed. Saam bepaal die interaktiewe effek van vermelde faktore die Grondlikke Organise Koolstoff -inhoud. Volhoubare landboubestuurspraktyke wat Grondlikke Organise Materiaal beïnvloed, sluit in die toediening van organiese verbeterings, bewaringsgrondbewerking, die gebruik van dekkingsoeste, oesrotasies, die hantering van oesresidu en voedingstofbestuur. Vermeerdering van Grondlikke Organise Koolstoff verhoog grondgehalte, verminder gronderosie en vermeerder landbouproduktiwiteit met aansienlike voordele op en verwyderd van die plaas. volhoubare landboutegnieke in die bestuurproses toegepas word, en een plaas wat volgens konvensionele bestuurspraktyke bedryf word. Met die tweede gevallestudie is ondersoek gedoen na die Grondlikke Organise Koolstoff -verskille tussen ‟n organiese en ‟n konvensionele groenteplaas. Die uitslae van albei studies dui daarop dat plase wat volgens volhoubare landboupraktyke bestuur word oor die algemeen hoër Grondlikke Organise Koolstoff-inhoud aantoon in vergelyking met plase wat volgens konvensionele landboupraktyke bedryf word.

C'est en 1954 que les paysans de la commune rurale d’Imanan, située dans l’Ouest du Niger, ont commencé la pratique de la culture de pomme de terre. D’une simple culture d’appoint associée à d’autres spéculations, la production de pomme de terre fait partie intégrante des systèmes de productions locaux. C’est la principale stratégie adaptative des paysans de l’Imanan pour faire face aux crises alimentaires. Plusieurs facteurs d’ordres économique, social et politique, en lien étroit avec l’évolution et les événements locaux ont contribué à sa diffusion et à son expansion. Culture de rente tournée vers le marché, la pomme de terre permet aux exploitants d’accéder à des revenus contribuant fortement à la subsistance des ménages. Dans un contexte marqué par des différenciations économiques et sociales entre groupes sociaux, la production de pomme de terre, de par les revenus qu’elle procure aux paysans, favorisent l’autonomisation des groupes sociaux défavorisés dont les jeunes et les femmes. Mais seuls les exploitants qui peuvent mobiliser suffisamment de ressources financières peuvent rentabiliser la production. La différence des revenus que tirent les producteurs de la culture de la pomme de terre est notamment liée à l’accès de ceux-ci aux plants, à l’utilisation de la motopompe et à l’emploi d’une main d’œuvre agricole externe. Le manque d’organisation adéquate de la filière pomme de terre conjugué à la faiblesse des alternatives de financement ne permettent pas à certains producteurs de s’en passer des commerçants (Maï Gida) grossistes de la filière pomme de terre. Les producteurs sont contraints de vendre leurs produits aux commerçants du « Petit marché » de Niamey. / It is in 1954 when the farmers of the rural district of Imanan, situated in the West of Niger, began the practice of the culture of potato. Of a simple culture of supplement associated with other speculations, the production of potato is an integral part local systems of productions. It is the main adaptive strategy of the farmers of the Imanan to face food crises. Several factors of economic, social and political orders, in narrow link with the evolution and the local events contributed to his distribution and to its expansion. Culture of pension was turned (shot) to the market; the potato allows the developers to reach income contributing strongly to the subsistence of the households (house works). In a context marked by economic and social differentiations between social groups, the production of potato, due to the income which she (it) gets to the farmers, favor the empowerment of the disadvantaged social groups among which the young people and the women. But only the developers who can mobilize enough financial resources can make profitable the production. The difference of the income which pull the producers of the culture of the potato is bound in particular to the access of these to plants, to use of the motor-pump and to employment of an external agricultural workforce. The lack of adequate organization of the sector apple of earth conjugated to the weakness of the alternatives of financing does not allow certain producers to take place storekeeper (Maï Gida) wholesalers of the sector potato. The producers are forced to sell their products to the storekeepers of the " Small market " of Niamey.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [331]-354).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2012-03-16Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:22:29Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 lampkowski_fj_me_botfca.pdf: 1027441 bytes, checksum: f69e928e3dc4031cf9267230fcc8dfad (MD5) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / Transformações econômicas, políticas e sociais, em nível mundial, alicerçadas nos avanços das tecnologias de comunicação e da computação, derrubam fronteiras. Considerado o quadro recessivo das economias da maioria dos países do mundo neste início do século 21, vivemos um cenário extremamente competitivo, aliado à escassez de recursos naturais e às questões de responsabilidade social e ambiental, que pressionam as empresas na busca da excelência em seus negócios. A adoção de inovação de tecnologias apresenta-se como fator necessário na gestão das empresas. No Brasil, as organizações sucroenergéticas não ficaram à margem desse processo. NEVES et al. (2010) estimaram que a cadeia produtiva total do sistema agroindustrial sucroenergético representou a renda de US$ 86,8 bilhões em 2008, em que a agroindústria de cana-de-açúcar brasileira participou com US$ 28,15 bilhões, cerca de 2% do PIB na atividade econômica nacional, empregando aproximadamente 1,28 milhão de trabalhos diretos: mais de 500 mil só no estado de São Paulo (maior produtor). O objetivo principal foi de verificar a existência de organização e de processos internos que influenciam na questão decisória quanto a adoção, escolha, justificativa e implementação das inovações e tecnologias nessas empresas. Avaliar como os processos ocorrem nas estruturas de organização e, os reflexos nos interesses dos negócios, das políticas energéticas, econômicas e sociais decorrentes. Foram apresentados alguns modelos no processo de adoção de tecnologias e inovações, passando pelos conceitos de planejamento estratégico e estratégias, colocados por ANDREWS, PORTER, HANDERSON, OHMAE,JONASH e SOMMERLATTE, HAMMEL e outros. Nos modelos... / Economical transformations, politics and social in world level, found in the progresses of the communication technologies and of the computation, they drop borders. Still considering the recessive picture of the savings of most of the countries of the world in this beginning of the century 21th, we lived extremely competitive scenery, allies to the shortage of natural resources and the subjects of social responsibility and you adapt, that still press more the companies in the search of the excellence in your businesses. It comes the adoption of innovation of technologies as necessary factor in the administration of the companies. In Brazil, these companies of the system industrial agriculture of sugar, ethanol and energy, were not to the margin of that process. NEVES et al. (2010) it esteemed that the chain productive total of the system industrial agriculture of sugar, ethanol and energy, represented the income of US$ 86,8 billion in 2008, where the industrial agriculture of Brazilian sugar-cane participated with US$ 28,15 billion, representing in 2% of GDP in the national economical activity, using 1,28 million direct works approximately: more than 500.000 only in São Paulo State (producing adult). The main objective was it of verifying the organization existence and of internal processes that influence in the subject decision as the adoption, choice, justification and implementation of the innovations and technologies in those companies. It interested to evaluate as the processes happens in the organization structures and the reflexes in the interests of the businesses, of the politics energy, economical and social current. Some were presented models in the process of adoption of technologies and innovations, going by the concepts of strategic planning and strategies, placed by ANDREWS... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Place and Date of the Defense: Santa Maria, August 29th of 2008. The question of setting up an appropriate strategy for the promotion of technical innovation composes a key element for social actors who are committed to the processes of agroecological transition. Although it is possible to find references which are relatively consolidated, through the propositive point of view, there is a small amount of knowledge about the arrangement that takes the social organization of innovation that sustains the agroecological transition in concrete experiences. In that sense, this present paper proposes to investigate this issue in the actuation of the Association of ecological farmers of Ipê and Antônio Prado (AECIA), in Rio Grande do Sul RS, appealing the consultation of documents and other studies, participant observation and interviews with agents of NGO and farmers. The results suggest that the introduction of ecological farming interferes in the sphere of social relations, more specifically in the social arrangement of production, making to emerge a new configuration in terms of social organization of technical innovation and creating specific sociotechnical spaces to meet the necessities of these actors, since these actors that maintain the model of industrial agriculture are not able to carry out these new demands. / A questão da constituição de uma estratégia adequada para a promoção da inovação técnica constitui um dos elementos-chave para os atores sociais comprometidos com os processos de transição agroecológica. Embora do ponto de vista propositivo encontrem-se referências relativamente consolidadas, há pouco conhecimento sobre a configuração que assume a organização social da inovação que sustenta a transição agroecológica em experiências concretas. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho propõe-se a investigar esta problemática no âmbito de atuação da Associação de Agricultores Ecologistas de Ipê e Antônio Prado (AECIA), no RS, recorrendo a consulta à documentos e outros estudos, observação participante e entrevistas à agentes de ONGS e agricultores. Os resultados apontam que a introdução da agricultura ecológica interfere na esfera das relações sociais, mais especificamente, no arranjo social da produção, fazendo emergir uma configuração nova em termos de organização social da inovação técnica e originando espaços sociotécnicos específicos para atender as necessidades desses atores, uma vez que os atores que sustentam o modelo da agricultura industrial, não conseguem dar conta das novas demandas.