Agriculture extension model no longer viable

The current Agritex operations are based instruction-oriented, conventional extension models designed to promote a narrow range of hybrid crops and livestock.

This has rendered extension services in many African countries including Zimbabwe unfit for purpose given that African food systems are too broad and includes wild life that co-exist with farmers.

In most communities, baboons, monkeys, wild pigs and even hippopotamus often invade fields and homesteads to feed on farmers’ commodities.

Since these wild animals including birds cannot be locked in game reserves, they an integral part of local food systems.
Limited information on food systems

Extension officers focus on conventional crops like maize and wheat as well as a bit about livestock population in the area. You will be very lucky to get information about indigenous food like small grains, indigenous vegetables, tubers, fruits including wild fruits that grown naturally in the community.

When government policy is pushing industrial agriculture, it is often difficult for extension officers to promote alternative approaches like agroecology which are about producing food in harmony with nature.

For instance extension officers currently preach the virtues of chemicals and fertilizer to farmers, and barely promote manure and integrated pest management.

That is why alternative agroecology extension models thhen come from NGOs or private companies.

Competing extension messages from government, private sector and NGOs often confuse farmers who end up not sure what really works.

African mass markets as part of agroecology

What makes African mass markets part of agroecology is their capacity to handle diverse commodities most of which have no space in the neo-liberal western marketing system like supermarkets and processing companies.

By handling diverse commodities and a wide range of economic actors, African mass markets inspire many actors like farmers and traders to share knowledge and information organically in African mass food markets daily.
Some of the insights shared in mass markets include the following:

· Rather than building the capacity of few professionals who then work in the food processing industry, mass markets have proved that change happens when millions of people access the same information and knowledge at the same time at scale. ICTs have tried to do that by molding farmers and traders to behave and think the same. If the motor industry has succeeded in institutionalizing the same behavior for drivers on the road in ways that ensure uninterrupted flow of vehicles, how can the same feat be achieved around appreciation of food systems? After all, everybody needs food.

· Continuous training without providing a market for commodities is a source of frustration for most farmers. In fact, providing a ready market for what farmers produce is the best way of advancing authentic development and self-reliance.

· Farmers should be involved in selecting private sector actors for partnerships. In most cases, if you see farmers preferring one middlemen to another, they have endured a raw deal from someone. But government always think corporates have the best solutions.

Mass market knowledge missing in formal education

In most African countries, what knowledge brokers are learning together with farmers, traders, consumers and ordinary people in African mass food markets is not getting into the educational curriculum.

Many people including policy makers are not accessing fluid knowledge in African mass markets. If we want to make the change that we want to make in agriculture and food systems, many people have to access this knowledge.

Writing books about this knowledge is part of the solution but has limited reach.

We have to contend with digital illiteracy and the cost of data bundles.

Some areas not reachable through radio. Television reach is mostly dominant in urban areas.

To reach everyone, there is need to utilise all these channel these channels and methods.

Addressing misconceptions about middlemen

A very important stereotype that is being debunked in African market is the misconception that all middlemen are evil scammers.

Besides existing at the invitation of farmers and consumers, middlemen are sometimes found promoting strong relationships and real growth.

The role of the middleman is important and includes ensuring food is delivered efficiently to the market and commodities from remote areas find their way to the market.

African mass food markets are some of the few places where farmers, traders and other actors can go and learn how to build relationships, make sense of pricing models and appreciate the marketing process.

More importantly, these markets enable farmers and traders to expand their emotional intelligence based on communication and interacting with people from other walks of life.

An experience that just does not happen in the supermarket.

Adapted from the emkambo newsletter

charles@knowledgetransafrica.com / charles@emkambo.co.zw /
info@knowledgetransafrica.com
Website: www.emkambo.co.zw / www.knowledgetransafrica.com
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