Torgeir Fyhri 1998

The Gambia: 
The Complexity of Modernising the Agricultural Sector in Africa

Reference: 
Torgeir Fyhri (1998): " The Gambia: The Complexity of Modernising the Agricultural Sector in Africa," unpublished thesis in Geography of Resources, Department of Geography, University of Oslo (Norway).

Copyright:
All rights belong to the author. For the republishing of the entire thesis or parts of it, Mr. Fyhri may be contacted through the redaction of afrol.com.

Contents

Acknowledgements

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 The problem
1.2 Hypotheses
1.3 About the study

CHAPTER 2: METHODICAL CONSIDERATIONS
2.1 Data availability
   2.1.1 Questionnaire and qualitative data
   2.1.2 System approach, statistical analysis and quantitative data
2.2 Validity and reliability problems
2.3 A multi-method strategy

CHAPTER 3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
3.1 Man-land and the geographic discipline
   3.1.1 Natural resources and dynamism
   3.1.2 Farm risk and social sustainability
3.2 Commercialisation, modernisation and development
   3.2.1 Theories on population growth and agricultural development
   3.2.2 Critics of development theories
   3.2.3 The "traps" of singularity and generalisation

CHAPTER 4: INTRODUCING THE GAMBIAN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
4.1 Historical background: The development of an agricultural sector
   4.1.1 Crops
   4.1.2 Overseas trade and groundnut production
4.2 Introducing the physical geography of The Gambia
   4.2.1 Agricultural zones
   4.2.2 Cyclical rainfall fluctuations and farm risk
4.3 Coping strategies towards ecological farming conditions
   4.3.1 Shifting cultivation and intercropping
   4.3.2 The rural household
   4.3.3 The tenure system
   4.3.4 "Scarcity of season"
4.4 The aims and strategies of modernising the agricultural sector
   4.4.1 Population growth: Increasing demand for food
   4.4.2 The agricultural sector's share of GDP
   4.4.3 Agriculture in the rural household economy
   4.4.4 Commercialisation of the agricultural sector
4.5 Modernising efforts in the Pre-ERP era
   4.5.1 Mechanisation
   4.5.2 Institution building
   4.5.3 Increasing degree of self-sufficiency of food
   4.5.4 Increasing cash crops production
4.6 The introduction of the Economic Recovery Programme

CHAPTER5: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR 1983-96
5.1 Production alterations
5.2 The relevance of the bio-system
   5.2.1 Precipitation
   5.2.2 Soil productivity
   5.2.3 Productive land
5.3 Labour availability
5.4 Technical improvements
5.5 Agricultural policies
   5.5.1 Price policies
   5.5.2 Fertiliser polices
   5.5.3 Credit policies
   5.5.4 Food policies
5.6 The relevance of the farming household to the farming system
   5.6.1 Farming practices
   5.6.2 Social organisation

CHAPTER 6: RESPONSES TO HOUSEHOLD CONSTRAINTS AND FARM RISK
6.1 Case: Upper Baddibu District, North Bank Division
   6.1.1 Land resources and land use in Maka Farafenni
   6.1.2 Land and labour availability in the Upper Baddibu
   6.1.3 Alterations in farming practises the last ten years
   6.1.4 The present and future in farming
6.2 Changing farm risk and constraints of farming from a household perspective
   6.2.1 Land or labour shortage?
   6.2.2 The tenure system and short-time perspective of farming
   6.2.3 Insecurity and investments in farming
6.3 Changing responses
   6.3.1 National economy vs. "local economy"
   6.3.2 Agricultural diversification
   6.3.3 Income substitution, off-farm income and migration

CHAPTER 7: TESTING OF HYPOTHESES AND THEORETICAL DISCUSSION
7.1 Testing of hypotheses
   7.1.1 Examination of hypotheses IA & IB
   7.1.2 Examination of hypotheses IIA & IIB
   7.1.3 Examination of hypotheses IIIA & IIIB
7.2 Theoretical discussion
   7.2.1 Modernisation, stagnation or transformation?
   7.2.2 The relevance of macrotheories and the present findings

REFERENCES
   Abbreviations

Appendix - Interviews conducted in villages around Farafenni

AfriPromote Banner Exchange

next

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS   I have received much assistance and support during my study. First of all I want to express my gratitude to Rainer Chr. Hennig at the University of Tromsø for the successful collaboration during the field survey in The Gambia and during the process of performance of this thesis. It had been impossible to have carried out the study without your support. I would also thank the local people of the Farafenni area for hospitality and assistance during the investigation of the field survey. I would particulary mention Bunja Daabo, Sarjo Jallow, Babochar Sarr, Babochar Koma, Alex Tabbal, Samba Bah, Samuel Taylor, Baba Sanneh and Demba Jallow. I also acknowledge the support of my supervisor Professor Jon Martin Trolldalen and others of my colleagues at the Resource Geographical group, Department of Geography, University of Oslo. The intellectual support of Guro Voss Gabrielsen, and her belief in my project is neither forgotten nor Roy Blådammens technical assistance.   Oslo, June 1998 Torgeir Fyhri

next

© afrol.com. Texts and graphics may be reproduced freely, under the condition that their origin is clearly referred to, see Conditions. The copyright of this specific text does not belong to afrol.com, but to the author. See special note.    You can contact us at mail@afrol.com