Linking Institutional Research and Extension to Farmers' Indigenous Knowledge and Practices for Sustainable Agriculture in Ethiopia. A Case Study from Dejen Woreda, Amhara Region.
| dc.contributor.advisor | Tafesse, Tesfaye (PhD) | |
| dc.contributor.author | Fenta, Getahun | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-08-10T10:41:46Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-18T09:24:55Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2018-08-10T10:41:46Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-18T09:24:55Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2008-03 | |
| dc.description.abstract | In Ethiopia the absence of effective linkage between research, extension and farmers has been identified lime and again as one of Ihe major problems Ihal hinder Ihe effecliveness of Ihe development of agriculture in general and agricultural research and extension systems in particular. Considering such a problem, there had been various attempts both by extension and research organizations to devise linkages. Yel, the linkages remain as lVeak as the number of times solutions were sought to further strengthen it. If this is the case, why is a problem of weak linkage between agricult ural research. extension and farmers persistent and pervasive in Ethiopia? What ways/mechanisms can be devised to complement agricultural research and extension activities with farmers' indigenolls know/edge and praclices? These two queslions were Ihe focus of Ihe sludy in Dejen woreda of Ihe Amhara Region. The area 'was selected due fo the fact that it has impressive and diverse sUiface landforms 'wh ere one expects a variely of indigenous knowledge syslems and praclice. The study adopled a descriplive research design. The largel populalions for Ihe sludy were agricullural researchers, extension workers, and farmers . Out of the total 19 RKAs in the woreda, 6 were drawn as sample kebeles by using simple randolll sampling technique. From a tOlal of 7029 households in the six RKAs, 60 households were selecled as a sample for Ihe slridy using proporlionale stralified sampling technique. The data were collected from primary (questionnaire survey, observation, interview and foclis group discussion) and secondmy (published and unpublished lIlaterials) sources. The collecled data were analysed llsing both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Some of the major bOlllenecks that hinder effective linkage between agricultural research, extension and farmers include: limited input from farmers in selling priorities and formulating the research agenda; under perceiving and disregarding indigenous knowledge systems, experiments and organizations; technical deficiency of the extension service; large area coverage oj the research centre; complexity of the research environment and pressures from stakeholders; lack of accountable and responsible institute for Ihe linkage; idle and ineffective linkage mechanisms; lack of proper moniloring and evalualion systems; resource constraints and weak administrative capacity; communication problems and the existence of blaming culture; motivation and commitment problems of the research and extension staff; lack of adequate and organized trainings for farmers and extension workers; lack oj gender mainstreaming in extension and research activities,' and shrinking and ji'agmented land holdings The policy implication of the study is thaI promoting indigenous knowledge in Ethiopia requires al/iludinal, behavioral, and melhodological changes 10 give il a scienlific louch. The changing roles of extension workers and researchers are therefore very important for a true partnership in research and extension with farmer innovators. Thus, institutionalizing and internalizing indigenous knowledge inlO (he existing research and extension systems should be the ultimate objective of all actors involved in the agricultural development process in Ethiopia. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/11573 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Addis Ababa University | en_US |
| dc.subject | Practices for Sustainable | en_US |
| dc.subject | Agriculture in Ethiopia | en_US |
| dc.title | Linking Institutional Research and Extension to Farmers' Indigenous Knowledge and Practices for Sustainable Agriculture in Ethiopia. A Case Study from Dejen Woreda, Amhara Region. | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |