Gaps and Questions

The research presented here left a few key questions unanswered and these merit further investigation within the context of the policy, institutions and processes aspects of SL.

• What is the impact of politics and power relations on the performance of farmers’ organisations? Who benefits and who loses from farmers’ organisations?
• Should the ability to command political weight at a local, regional or national level be included in the SL framework as "political capital" – given that this can be key in gaining access to and building assets and income?
• How can the analysis of inequalities (e.g. of gender, class, race, assets/income) and power imbalances within organisations be linked to assessments of their potential for linkages with agricultural services?
• How can we know or predict when and where farmers’ organisations are, or are not, likely to be effective partners for agricultural research and technology development?
• What is the place and role of the private sector in relation to local community based organisations in partnerships for extension and research?
• Are organisations as important for urban development and urban communities as they are for rural development as a whole, and agricultural research and technology development in particular?
• Are sector-based organisations more successful in achieving positive livelihood outcomes for their members than organisations with multiple activities and interests?
• What are the reasons that may explain why experiences of strong FO / agricultural service provider relations seem more common in francophone than in anglophone countries in the region?