Vulnerability of African Peasants and Their Society

非洲农民有各种应对不确定性的策略；不确定的降雨、价格波动、意外的政治和经济变化。然而，据说自20世纪80年代以来，非洲国家快速的经济/政治变革，如引入结构调整方案（S.A.P.）和政治民主化，对农民产生了前所未有的影响，并增加了农民的脆弱性。本研究旨在了解非洲农民脆弱性的本质及其变化过程。在这些因素中，我们重点关注以下几点：获得土地的机会（土地权属制度、耕作制度、性别问题）、进入市场的机会（S.A.P.的影响）、人民的移徙（非农工作和人口流动）以及调动社区和亲属关系。我们在赞比亚、坦桑尼亚、卢旺达、加纳和尼日利亚进行了为期三年的实地考察。在赞比亚，通过对家庭预算、移民和Dambo种植的研究，调查了s.a.p.a对农民脆弱性的影响。在坦桑尼亚，研究了群体网络在农业生产中的作用和功能；传统灌溉系统农户经济合作与新落户村村际关系。在加纳，从劳动力、土地和性别的角度对生产可可和菠萝等可出口经济作物的农民进行了采访。还研究了非正式部门的作用。在卢旺达和尼日利亚的研究显示了政治动乱和经济衰退的巨大影响。作为这项研究的结果，许多论文和书籍已经出版。其中一些论文与其他新论文合订为《研究报告》。在本研究中，我们发现了一些新的应对策略，应引起农民的重视。但与此同时，越来越明显的是，脆弱性的增加已经成为研究非洲农民的一个更重要的问题。少

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