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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Modern agricultural history in Malawi: perspectives on policy-choice explanations
Author:Green, ErikISNI
Year:2007
Periodical:African Studies Review
Volume:50
Issue:3
Pages:115-133
Language:English
Geographic term:Malawi
Subjects:agricultural policy
agricultural history
External link:http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/african_studies_review/v050/50.3green.pdf
Abstract:Development research is often associated with issues of policy. Researchers aim to increase our contextual and theoretical knowledge to enhance the creation of 'good' development policies. One way of doing this is to identify and learn from harmful policies of the past. The objective of this article is to examine such policy-choice explanations by looking at the dominant understandings of the modern history of agriculture in Malawi. These perspectives share the view that the high level of rural poverty is, to a great extent, an outcome of the agricultural policies implemented by the colonial and postcolonial governments. Of crucial importance are the mechanisms whereby the State actively tried to transfer resources from the smallholder sector to the State or to the estate sector. This had a negative impact on the production capacity of the smallholder sector. This article notes that the focus on policies alone is not a sufficient approach to understand the dynamics and limitations of the smallholder sector. The article also points to some methodological weaknesses with policy-choice explanations that are relevant for development research in general. Bibliogr., note, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]
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