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Why the elite should stop imposing their expectations on smallholder farmers
Bankers expect smallholder farmers to repay loans at a particular interest. For economists, African smallholder farmers are supposed to master…
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How to move from ordinary to best agricultural practices
‘Best practice’ is not even a mouthful but what it means in practice remains unclear to many people who use…
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Various shades of shrinkage and identity theft in the market
Every time farmers inquire about prices of commodities in the market they are often looking for the highest price. However,…
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To sell or not – decision making challenges in unstable economic environments
A majority of African farmers tend to make decisions based on their experiences, expectations and fears, especially in an unstable…
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How marketing systems in developing countries penalize poor farmers
Whether it is potato production in the highlands of Rwanda, cassava production in Northern Mozambique or sweet potato production in…
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Extent to which inherited knowledge systems are constraining African Imaginations
The introduction of exotic crops, fruits and livestock into Africa was initially guided and informed by the way indigenous crops,…
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The opportunity cost of industrialization in developing countries
The African spiny horned cucumber (pictured below) is abundant in Southern Africa this farming season. Like other natural crops, it…
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From academic and scientific research to commercial and social viability
When academic and scientific research came into African economies, communities were already surviving on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). In agriculture,…
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How people’s markets value satisfaction more than colonial measurements
The formal education system in developing countries has not taken time to explain and justify colonial measurements that continue to…
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How ICTs are being misused to perpetuate poverty
Contrary to the hype in which ICTs are presented as a panacea, ICTs-related costs in many African countries eroding the…
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How can developing countries build financial systems that work for the majority and for the environment
Not much research is needed to prove that financial systems in most developing countries do not work for the majority…
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When poor communities start asking searching questions!
Although rural communities in Africa may not directly push-back donor support, murmurings of dissatisfaction with some development interventions are getting…
