The Research Problem

What is presented here is a multi-country study undertaken by a team of French, British and West African researchers for CORAF (the Conference des Responsables de Recherche Agricole en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre) - or WECARD (1) in English - between 1998 and 1999. The study analysed the strengths and weaknesses of research-extension-farmers’ organisation collaboration in the region and aimed to identify lessons for best practice so as to assist the development of appropriate agricultural technologies and improve their dissemination amongst farmers. For example: which types of organisations foster better linkages? What legislative and policy environment supports the development of strong farmers’ organisations? Some sixteen cases of such collaboration were studied in five West and Central African countries – Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Burkina Faso, The Gambia (an additional study was also carried out by a consultant in Nigeria). Whilst the specific historical, political and economic context proved significant to the successful development of fruitful linkages, a number of widely applicable practical lessons are drawn to improve such linkages. For a summary discussion of the types of farmers’ organisations that should be strengthened and some key characteristics of effective farmers’ organisations, see Box 1.

Much research has shown the need to develop effective mechanisms to make agricultural service providers more accountable and demand led. This is seen as key to increasing the effectiveness and relevance of agricultural services to farmers’ livelihood and development needs.

There are, broadly speaking, two main types of accountability: upward accountability and downward accountability. Upward accountability involves the need of service providers to satisfy the demands of their funders, and in the case of public services, the State. Currently, this usually involves meeting criteria such as transparency, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, achievement of policy objectives, and being tied to market forces of supply and demand. Downward accountability, however, implies accountability of service providers to local populations and end users of agricultural services. It is the importance of strengthening downward accountability and responsiveness to end user needs and demands – and particularly those of the poorest groups - that was the central focus of the research discussed here. This research was particularly interested in accountability accompanied by empowerment: examining different types of linkages between agricultural service providers and farmers and their representatives and assessing which of these linkages were most successful in empowering farmers in the process of agricultural technology development. In general, the case studies showed that strong, federated farmers’ organisations were a more effective mechanism for empowering farmers in technology development processes than, for example, simply using participatory methods or working with small farmer contact groups. However, effective farmers’ organisations did not exist in all contexts.

Attempts to achieve downward accountability have involved the establishment of diverse mechanisms that tie agricultural service providers to end users, notably:

• establishing contractual or collaborative linkages with civil society organisations (including local and national farmers’ organisations) (e.g. Burkina Faso; Senegal);
• strengthening the capacities of community based organisations and farmers’ organisations (e.g. The Gambia; Cameroon);
• creating incentives for the private sector to fund research and extension activities (e.g. Ghana; Uganda);
• promoting the use of participatory methodologies (e.g. PRA) in needs assessment, planning and implementation, and less commonly in, in monitoring and evaluation (most of the study countries);
• inviting farmer representatives to participate in research and extension coordinating and decision making bodies (Ghana; The Gambia);
• creating of linkages between service providers and decentralised elected local authorities (Ghana; Uganda…); and
• establishing competitive research and technology partnership funds (Uganda; Kenya…)

Farmers’ organisations are defined here as groups of rural producers coming together to found organisations, based on the principle of free membership, to pursue specific common interests of their members – developing technical and economic activities that benefit their members and maintaining relations with partners operating in their economic and institutional environment. Strong farmers’ organisations (the second mechanism cited above – and the focus of this research) can be among the most effective mechanisms for achieving downward accountability. However, their effectiveness in achieving this depends on their internal strength and cohesion, a clear set of objectives which normally include agricultural and economic activities, and a favourable external (policy and legislative) environment. Their existence can both encourage and at times enforce greater accountability of service providers. The core theme of this research was to highlight the technical, economic and institutional conditions that influence the development of collaborative linkages between national agricultural research systems, farmers, farmers’ organisations and civil society to improve processes of agricultural technology development.

(1) In 1999, CORAF took the name 'the West and central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD)' in English.