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SUMMARY:Smallholder agriculture and food security: examining the routes fo
 r diversifying and sustaining rural livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa - Dr
 . Shailaja Fennell ( Lecturer in Development Studies\, Department of Land 
 Economy)
DTSTART:20150422T120000Z
DTEND:20150422T130000Z
UID:TALK58920@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:32077
DESCRIPTION:Smallholder farmers in developing countries face large-scale i
 nformation asymmetry that prevent sustainable production and can result in
  the exploitation of the farming community. The challenge is particularly 
 acute for women farmers\, who face the greatest structural constraints to 
 accessing information\, despite their critical role in food production and
  family nutrition. \n\nWhile agriculture is an important engine of growth 
 and poverty reduction in developing countries\, growth arising from expans
 ion of land under cultivation tends to correlate with low levels of povert
 y reduction while the gains achieved with agricultural technologies have l
 ed to increasing productivity and gains in wealth. A recent trend in the a
 griculture sector has been to improve informational access for appropriate
  production planning\, use of improved  seeds  and  planting  materials\, 
  suitable cultivation practices\, effective post-harvest management\, stor
 age\, value addition and marketing. A particular advance has been through 
 the use of mobile phones to provide agricultural information to farmers in
  Sub Saharan Africa since 2007\, partly in response to the decline in the 
 provision of traditional extension services but also in recognition of the
  potential for mobile phones and tablet devices to revolutionize the provi
 sion of information to farmers.  \n\nThis presentation will review the cur
 rent situation of small holders in improving food production and the feasi
 bility of the global agenda of ensuring diversification and sustainable li
 velihoods for this group of farmers. There will be a particular focus on t
 he obstacles posed by poor connectivity in Sub-Saharan rural areas that pr
 event ICT from benefitting small holders. The opportunity presented by rec
 ent improvements in access to finance via mobile telecommunication and the
  need to build on this advance through the provision of cheap and sustaina
 ble energy will be explored. The institutional and structural features tha
 t currently hinder advances in technology dissemination will be reviewed a
 nd need for livelihood sensitive approaches that recognise the diversity o
 f small holders in sub-Saharan ecologies will be emphasised. 
LOCATION:Biffen Lecture Theatre\, Department of Genetics\, Downing Site
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