Researching the Culture in Agri-Culture: Social Research for International Agricultural Development

This book analyzes the functions, content, methods, findings, and impacts of social and cultural researchcarried out by the worldwide network of 16 International Agricultural Research Centers of the CGIAR(Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research). Its two main parts -insiders and outsiders-bring together the perspectives of over 50 eminent scholars and social researchers from 30 countries,working within the Centers or within outside academic and development institutions. The authorsexamine critically the priorities, strengths, and weaknesses of research on the socio-structural, behavioural,cultural, and institutional variables of developing agriculture, forestry, livestock, and fisheries. The studiesfocus on farmers' values, needs and knowledge, their patterns of social organization, issues of food security,natural resource management and poverty reduction. Alternative models of multidisciplinary research,reuniting biological, natural, economic and social sciences are scrutinized in the light of experience andresults, with emphasis on the nature of social science research as a source of international public goodsand a key contributor to induced development.