The Political Ecology of an Emerging Paradigm Shift: International Agricultural Research Institutions and Agroecology in Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48162/rev.40.093Keywords:
Africa, agriculture, agroecology, food security, research infrastructureAbstract
In the face of growing food insecurity on the African continent, it is clear that conventional agricultural paradigms have not moved the dial on malnutrition. Within international organizations and via grass roots social movements, agroecology is increasingly discussed as an alternative, low external input approach to agricultural intensification and food security. Nonetheless, while the science of agroecology is several decades old, it remains highly marginalized within most agricultural research institutions at the international, regional and national scales which overwhelmingly support productionist approaches to agricultural development. This paper explores two questions. First, how does the existing international and regional research architecture support and reinforce the conventional agricultural development paradigm in Africa? Second, how do new agricultural development paradigms emerge and gain traction within development institutions? The findings are based on field level observations and time spent within different agricultural research organizations. I conclude that research infrastructure is political, an insight that is consistent with political agronomy and political ecology. Furthermore, I argue that meaningful change on the ground requires a change in research infrastructure.
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