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Visions of sustainable development and the future of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (and beyond)

Boda, Chad ; Akorsu, Angela D. ; Armah, Frederick A. ; Atwiine, Adrine ; Byaruhanga, Ronald LU ; Chambati, Walter ; Ekumah, Bernard LU ; Faran, Turaj LU ; Tetteh Hombey, Charles and Isgren, Ellinor LU , et al. (2024) In Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 8.
Abstract

Smallholder farmers are widely touted as essential to sustainable agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. But what exactly is meant by sustainable development, and how are smallholder farmers expected to contribute to it? In this perspective, we describe and assess two competing visions of sustainable development, namely Capital Theory and the Capabilities approach, paying special attention to the major yet divergent repercussions each approach implies for the future of smallholder farmers and the activities of their representative organizations. We present the core concepts, tools and practices stemming from each sustainable development perspective, and from a critique of these motivate the superiority of a... (More)

Smallholder farmers are widely touted as essential to sustainable agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. But what exactly is meant by sustainable development, and how are smallholder farmers expected to contribute to it? In this perspective, we describe and assess two competing visions of sustainable development, namely Capital Theory and the Capabilities approach, paying special attention to the major yet divergent repercussions each approach implies for the future of smallholder farmers and the activities of their representative organizations. We present the core concepts, tools and practices stemming from each sustainable development perspective, and from a critique of these motivate the superiority of a capabilities approach as more conducive to smallholder farmers wellbeing now and in the future. In doing so, we bring to the fore the pivotal role smallholder farmer organizations and rural social movements, as collective vehicles for smallholder political agency, play in strategically advocating for the conditions that support sustainable and just smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
capabilities approach, capital theory, collective action & social movements, development theory, rural development
in
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
volume
8
article number
1357574
pages
7 pages
publisher
Frontiers Media S. A.
external identifiers
  • scopus:85209373539
ISSN
2571-581X
DOI
10.3389/fsufs.2024.1357574
project
Mobilizing farmer organisations for sustainable agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b0c9e63a-4fb1-4369-b93b-bc54a44477cf
date added to LUP
2024-11-08 09:27:16
date last changed
2025-04-04 13:56:22
@article{b0c9e63a-4fb1-4369-b93b-bc54a44477cf,
  abstract     = {{<p>Smallholder farmers are widely touted as essential to sustainable agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. But what exactly is meant by sustainable development, and how are smallholder farmers expected to contribute to it? In this perspective, we describe and assess two competing visions of sustainable development, namely Capital Theory and the Capabilities approach, paying special attention to the major yet divergent repercussions each approach implies for the future of smallholder farmers and the activities of their representative organizations. We present the core concepts, tools and practices stemming from each sustainable development perspective, and from a critique of these motivate the superiority of a capabilities approach as more conducive to smallholder farmers wellbeing now and in the future. In doing so, we bring to the fore the pivotal role smallholder farmer organizations and rural social movements, as collective vehicles for smallholder political agency, play in strategically advocating for the conditions that support sustainable and just smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.</p>}},
  author       = {{Boda, Chad and Akorsu, Angela D. and Armah, Frederick A. and Atwiine, Adrine and Byaruhanga, Ronald and Chambati, Walter and Ekumah, Bernard and Faran, Turaj and Tetteh Hombey, Charles and Isgren, Ellinor and Jerneck, Anne and Mazwi, Freedom and Mpofu, Elizabeth and Ndhlovu, Delmah and Laury Ocen, Lawrence and Sibanda, Michaelin}},
  issn         = {{2571-581X}},
  keywords     = {{capabilities approach; capital theory; collective action & social movements; development theory; rural development}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Frontiers Media S. A.}},
  series       = {{Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems}},
  title        = {{Visions of sustainable development and the future of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (and beyond)}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1357574}},
  doi          = {{10.3389/fsufs.2024.1357574}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}