Stop Treating African Farmers as Passive Recipients of Aid, Says Ethiopian University President
Stop Treating African Farmers as Passive Recipients of Aid, Says Ethiopian University President
The narrative that agricultural knowledge is inherited from the Global North is racist and needs to be challenged, Prof. Berhanemeskel Tena, president of Madda Walabu University, told Sputnik Africa.
Long before Western agricultural research, African farmers had developed expertise in sowing, irrigation, and selective breeding, according to the academician.
The difference, Prof. Tena noted, is that Western knowledge is written and institutionalized, while African knowledge is passed down orally and through practice—which does not diminish its value.
To reverse the narrative, he proposed three steps:
🟠Giving scientific names to the practical work of the farmer;
🟠Prioritizing traditional research and innovation;
🟠Providing opportunities for farmers to research and develop their knowledge.
"The African farmer does not wait for outside solutions. He innovates every day. Our job is to recognize, protect, and empower that innovation," the president concluded.
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