For the Dignity of Peasant FarmerS. EXPERIENCE AND TESTIMONIES FROM AFRICA, THOUGHTS, METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES

In this essay in French, published in 2018 by GRIP, Deogratias Niyonkuru addresses existential questions. What are the priorities for African farmers? What types of support? How to reconcile productivity improvement, rural poverty reduction and ecosystem preservation? Despite the abundant literature on the subject, the approach is not redundant, on the contrary.

“Because it comes from within the world it describes, this book fills a gap. Farmers in general don’t write. Expert quarrels make such a racket that their voices become inaudible. This essay gives them back their voice. It makes them heard…”, says Olivier De Schutter in his preface.

With its central message – to help small farmers, and especially women farmers, to regain confidence in themselves and in their farming profession, in order to regain their dignity – it goes completely off the beaten track. A wide audience will benefit greatly from it: development workers, students and teachers, as well as public authorities.

Deogratias Niyonkuru founded and lead ADISCO, a Burundian NGO. ADISCO won the KBF Africa Prize in 2015. Now he plays the role of strategic adviser for local and international actors and leaders. He is also leading the organisation ADIP (Association pour la dignité paysanne) that is experimenting in the field with some of the book’s recommendations.

Order a hard copy – Order an electronic copy of the book (in French only)

With a view to maximum dissemination, a 16-page summary is available in English.

More about ADISCO as 2014-2015 KBF Africa Prize winner.