The neglected governance challenges of agricultural mechanisation in Africa - insights from Ghana
The neglected governance challenges of agricultural mechanisation in Africa - insights from Ghana
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DOI：
10.1007/s12571-017-0716-9
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发表时间：
2017-10-01
期刊：
影响因子：
6.7
通讯作者：
Birner, Regina
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Daum, Thomas;Birner, Regina
在被忽视了几十年之后，农业机械化又回到了非洲的发展议程上。以加纳的机械化努力为例，本文分析了政府和私营部门努力促进小农农业系统机械化所面临的治理挑战。为了确定这些治理挑战，本文提出了一个概念框架，结合农业创新系统的方法与新制度经济学的概念。两个定性的实证方法被用来应用的框架：网络地图技术，这是一个参与性的绘图工具，和专家/关键线人访谈。结果表明，除了众所周知的问题，如市场失灵有关获得备件供应和信贷，机械化是由缺失的机构，特别是那些需要确保足够的技能发展的拖拉机操作员和技术人员的限制。此外，汇率波动和阻碍性的海关做法阻碍了私营部门更有力地参与机械化。治理方面的挑战，如政治利益和精英控制，限制了政府进口拖拉机和机械的有效性。研究结果表明，政府可以通过投资机构发展来加强农业机械化创新体系，并支持新兴的私营部门举措，而不是专注于补贴机械的供应。
After decades of neglect, agricultural mechanisation is back on the development agenda in Africa. Taking the mechanisation efforts of Ghana as an example, this paper analyses the governance challenges involved in government and private sector efforts to promote mechanisation in smallholder-based farming systems. To identify these governance challenges, this paper develops a conceptual framework that combines the agricultural innovation system approach with the concepts of New Institutional Economics. Two qualitative empirical methods were used to apply the framework: the Net-Map technique, which is a participatory mapping tool, and expert / key informant interviews. The results show that next to well-known problems such as market failures concerning access to spare-parts supplies and credit, mechanisation is constrained by missing institutions, particularly those that would be required to ensure adequate skill development of tractor-operators and technicians. In addition, exchange rate fluctuations and impeding customs practices prevent stronger private sector involvement in mechanisation. Governance challenges such as political interest and elite capture were found to limit the effectiveness of government imports of tractors and machinery. The findings suggest that instead of focusing on the supply of subsidised machinery, the government could be more effective by investing in institutional development to strengthen the agricultural innovation system for mechanisation and to support emerging private sector initiatives.