Browsing by Author "Kudadjie-Freeman, C."
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Item Farmers behaviour in relation to dynamics in contract: The case of cassava farmers in Ghana(Franklin Business & Law Review Journal, 2010) Kyereboah-Coleman, A.; Kuwornu, J.K.M.; Asare, O.G.; Kudadjie-Freeman, C.Item Seed systems for African food security: linking molecular genetics and cultivator knowledge in West Africa(International Journal of Technology Management, 2009) Richards, P.; DeBruin, H.M.; Hughes, S.G.; Kudadjie-Freeman, C.; Offei, S.K.; Struik, P.C.A challenge for African countries is how to integrate new sources of knowledge on plant genetics with knowledge from farmer practice to help improve food security. This paper considers the knowledge content of farmer seed systems in the light of a distinction drawn in artificial intelligence research between supervised and unsupervised learning. Supervised learning applied to seed systems performance has a poor record in Africa. The paper discusses an alternative – unsupervised learning supported by functional genomic analysis. Recent work in West Africa on sorghum, African rice and white yam is described. Requirements for laboratory-based analytical support are outlined. A science-backed ‘farmer first’ approach – while feasible – will require a shift in policy and funding by major investors.Item Unlocking the Potential of Contract Farming: Lessons from Ghana(The Gatekeeper Series, IIED 139 (3): 2-14, 2008) Kudadjie-Freeman, C.; DeBruin; Hockzona, M.; Hughes, S.G.; Richards, P.; Offei, S.K.; Struik, P.C.There has been many reviews and evaluation of contract farming and its usefulness for the small farmer in Africa. Some see contractual arrangements as disadvantageous to farmers, while others see them as beneficial- Despite these debates, contract farming is to likely to continue as a means of keeping small farmers involved in markets. It is therefore important to learn from past experiences in order to improve the working of the system as a whole. This paper analyses sorghum contract farming in north-east Ghana in order to explore ways of making such arrangements viable for small farmers. The analysis draws on the convergence of sciences approach, which sees both science and social relation interactions among the relevant stakeholders as important for developing small farmer-related agricultural innovations (technology, procedures, new forms of organization). The study reveals that the failure and problem encountered in this particular contracting scheme were both technical and institutional. The technical issues were a combination of pest problems, the environment and the sorghum variety chosen. The institutional issues involved the contractual arrangements and relations between the contracting parties. The authors argue that if contracts are to be fair, they must allow for compensation, contingencies and production risks. But scientific knowledge is required in order to adequately incorporate these elements. The authors suggest technological and institutional changes to improve contract farming. Science is needed to tackle specific technical problems likely to be faced by farmers, these should then become a basis for negotiating beneficial contract terms for all parties. They also suggest that while farmers could improve their negotiation power by forming organisations, governments should also strengthen the institutional and legal framework process for small farmers, who are often the weaker of the contracting parties.