Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the research process. In Uganda, a high degree of decentralization made effective
participation possible, whereas in Kenya interaction between different groups and
discussion of results could only be facilitated via policy workshops towards the end
of the projects.
Successful participation of and interaction between stakeholders in the research
process did, however, result in new research questions. These additional questions,
however, were often beyond the scope of the ongoing project's objectives, resources
and budget. Hence, fruitful interaction with stakeholders also leads to new and high
expectations that often could not be satisfied.
For some projects, tension appeared between the interests of the Dutch Ministry
and local stakeholders from the South. Especially in the project definition phase,
interests of both stakeholders were not always in line. For instance, a project that
initially aimed at analysing the trade-offs between economic and environmental goals
for an agricultural region, re-focused its analysis through local stakeholder inter-
vention to concentrate on socio-economic goals (such as production, employment
and regional income).
One of the major lessons learned is that stakeholder identification and interaction
require special attention. Therefore, in the inception phase of projects, sufficient
means should be made available for investments in involvement of stakeholders.
Biophysical potential and environmental risk assessment
Most of the projects dealt with the interactions between agriculture and environment
and were successful in creating and/or increasing awareness of farmers and local
governments of environmental problems. Many projects examined the prospects for
alternative production technologies to reduce soil nutrient depletion, soil loss and
sedimentation, or ground- and surface water pollution by agro-chemicals. Economic
aspects of implementing knowledge- and labour-intensive technologies were addressed
in most studies.
In Asia, the focus was on fertilizer- and water-saving technologies. The projects,
in general, concluded that substantial gains in nutrient- and water use efficiencies
could be realized, especially through introduction of site-specific crop and soil
management systems. A constraint for application of these technologies appears
their higher labour requirements, in situations where labour productivity is already
low, and farm households try to reduce farm labour to profit from non-farm and off-
farm employment opportunities (Hengsdijk et al. 2005; Kuiper et al. 2007).
Very few studies have been conducted on the health risks for consumers associated
with (excessive) pesticide application. There is still lack of sound analytical methods
and skilled staff for this task. Studies that did look into the health risks for farmers
revealed that farmers are often more aware of the risks than local governments and
research institutions. The studies on biocide emissions (to soil, water and air) related
to agricultural activities require further verification, experimentation and capacity
building. Currently, often simple indices are generated and applied for assessments
of environmental risks. These approaches need further support by experimentation
and monitoring programmes. Lack of knowledge and skilled personnel at local food
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