Critical reflection on knowledge and narratives of conservation agriculture
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Critical reflection on knowledge and narratives of conservation agriculture. / Whitfield, Stephen; Dougill, Andrew J.; Dyer, J. et al.
In: Geoforum, Vol. 60, No. 3, 01.03.2015, p. 133-142.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Critical reflection on knowledge and narratives of conservation agriculture
AU - Whitfield, Stephen
AU - Dougill, Andrew J.
AU - Dyer, J.
AU - Kalaba, Felix K.
AU - Leventon, Julia
AU - Stringer, Lindsay C.
PY - 2015/3/1
Y1 - 2015/3/1
N2 - In the context of contemporary concerns about climate change and food security, Conservation Agriculture (CA) has emerged as a well-supported and central component of the agricultural sector development strategy across sub-Saharan Africa, including in Zambia, which is the focus of this paper. A variety of narratives about the benefits of CA over conventional agricultural systems underpin endeavours towards ‘scaling up’ CA and increasing rates of adoption amongst smallholder farmers nationwide. However, there is a knowledge politics underlying the translation of a weak evidence base around CA into persuasive narratives and financial and political support. In this paper, we trace the evolution of five narratives around CA in Zambia in relation to changing political agendas and the involvement of new public and private sector actors, and review the development of evidence bases and knowledge that support and challenge each of these narratives. We discuss the potential to open up space within this knowledge politics to alternative narratives and the contestation of the pervasive CA scaling up agenda. Critical reflection is essential to ensure that national and local evidence is more effectively used to guide national climate and agricultural policy developments and international donor initiatives.
AB - In the context of contemporary concerns about climate change and food security, Conservation Agriculture (CA) has emerged as a well-supported and central component of the agricultural sector development strategy across sub-Saharan Africa, including in Zambia, which is the focus of this paper. A variety of narratives about the benefits of CA over conventional agricultural systems underpin endeavours towards ‘scaling up’ CA and increasing rates of adoption amongst smallholder farmers nationwide. However, there is a knowledge politics underlying the translation of a weak evidence base around CA into persuasive narratives and financial and political support. In this paper, we trace the evolution of five narratives around CA in Zambia in relation to changing political agendas and the involvement of new public and private sector actors, and review the development of evidence bases and knowledge that support and challenge each of these narratives. We discuss the potential to open up space within this knowledge politics to alternative narratives and the contestation of the pervasive CA scaling up agenda. Critical reflection is essential to ensure that national and local evidence is more effectively used to guide national climate and agricultural policy developments and international donor initiatives.
KW - Sustainability Science
KW - Climate-smart agriculture
KW - scaling up
KW - farming systems
KW - politics
KW - Zambia
KW - Sub-Saharan Africa
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84923030810&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.geoforum.2015.01.016
DO - 10.1016/j.geoforum.2015.01.016
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 60
SP - 133
EP - 142
JO - Geoforum
JF - Geoforum
SN - 0016-7185
IS - 3
ER -