Vulnerability of African Peasants and Their Society

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African peasant farmers have various strategies to cope with uncertainty; uncertain rainfall, price fluctuations, unexpected political and economic changes. However,it is said that the rapid economic/political change in African countries since 1980s such as introduction of the Structural Adjustment Program (S.A.P.) and political democratization had unprecedented influence on peasant farmers and it has influenced on increased vulnerability of peasant farmers.In this study, we aimed to understand the nature and the changing process of vulnerability of African peasant farmers. Among factors, we put focus on the following points; access to land (land tenure system, farming system, gender issue), access to the market (influence of S.A.P.), peoples' migration (off-farm work and population movement), and mobilization of community and kinship ties. We conducted field study for three years in Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria.In Zambia, the effect of S.A.P.on farmers' vulnerability wa … More s investigated through study on household budget, migration and Dambo cultivation. In Tanzania, the role and function of group network on agricultural production has been studied; economic cooperation among household in traditional irrigation system and inter-village relationship in newly settled village. In Ghana, peasant farmers who producing exportable cash crops such as cocoa and pineapple have been interviewed from the point of labor, land and gender. The role of informal sectors were also studied. The study in Rwanda and Nigeria shows the big impact of political disturbances and economic recession.Many papers and books have been published as a results of this study. Some of these papers are bounded with other new papers as The Research Report. In this study, we have found out some of new coping strategies of peasant farmers which should be paid more attentions. But at the same time, it has become clear that the increased vulnerability had become more important issue for the study of African peasant farmers. Less