The Role of Uganda's Service Reforms in Marketing and Agricultural
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Making rural services work for the poor: The role of Uganda´s service reforms in marketing and agricultural extension Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades doctor rerum agriculturarum (Dr. rer. agr.) eingereicht an der Landwirtschaftlich-Gärtnerischen Fakultät der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin von M.Sc. Nana Afranaa Kwapong Präsident der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Prof. Dr. Jan-Hendrik Olbertz Dekan der Landwirtschaftlich-Gärtnereischen Fakultät Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Frank Ellmer Gutachter: 1. Prof. Dr. Markus Hanisch (HU-Berlin, Deutschland) 2. Dr. Ephraim Nkonya (IFPRI-Washington, DC, USA) Datum der Verteidigung: 24. Juli 2012 Zusammenfassung Ziel der Studie ist, zum besseren Verständnis und zum politischen Diskurs hinsichtlich der Reform des ländlichen Dienstleistungssektors in Uganda beizutragen. Sechs Aufsätze zeigen, wie Reformen im genossenschaftlichen Vermarktungsbereich und innerhalb der landwirtschaftlichen Beratung den Aufbau funktionsfähiger ländlicher Dienstleistungen unterstützen können, um zur Armutsbekämpfung in Uganda beizutragen. Paper 1 analysiert, warum in manchen Gemeinden ein größeres Angebot an Dienstleistungen zur Reduzierung der Armut beigetragen hat, während dies in anderen Gemeinden nicht erreicht werden konnte. Fallbeispiele zeigen, dass (1) der Zugang zu komplementären Dienstleistungen ländliche Lebensgrundlagen verbessern kann, (2) ein hoher Anteil kommunaler Dienstleistungen teilweise durch kollektive Anstrengungen, Selbsthilfe und Partizipation ersetzt werden kann, und dass (3) öffentlichen Ordnung, Sicherheit und Eigentumsrechte unentbehrliche Voraussetzungen zur Verbesserung ländlicher Lebensbedingungen und zur Verbesserung ländlicher Dienstleistungsangebote sind. Paper 2 ist eine Literaturstudie über den Zusammenhang zur genossenschaftlichen Organisation und Armutsbekämpfung. Paper 3 untersucht die Bestimmungsgründe für Resilienz und Untergang des ehemaligen Genossenschaftssystems. Paper 4 analysiert den Wandel des Genossenschaftssystems anhand struktureller Unterschiede zwischen dem alten und neuen System. Fazit: Das ‚Revival des Genossenschaftsgedankens‘ war begleitet von der Implementierung neuer Institutionen, Verbesserung der Fortbildung und Ausweitung politischer Unabhängigkeit sowie finanziell tragfähiger Genossenschaften. Paper 5 und 6 untersuchen den Beitrag einer der bedeutendsten politischen Reformen im ländlichen Raum des heutigen Ugandas: die Dezentralisierung des Angebotes landwirtschaftlicher Dienstleistungen. Fazit: Die weit verbreitete Einflussnahme auf den politischen Meinungsbildungsprozess schwächt das gute Image des National Agricultural Advisory Services. Schlagwörter: Ländliche Dienstleistungen, Landwirtschaftsberatung, Armut, Dezentralisierung, Genossenschaften, Uganda ii Abstract The objective of this study is to contribute to the understanding and policy debate on the changing landscape of agricultural rural services reforms in Uganda. My study analyzes service reforms in cooperative marketing and agricultural extension as part of efforts to make rural services work for the poor in Uganda. Six papers are written to achieve this objective. Paper 1 presents empirical evidence to the paradox of why over the last two decades in some communities’ service provision has worked to get the poor out of poverty whereas in other communities services have not. On the basis of case studies I show that efforts to reduce poverty should focus on improving security, property rights, then analyze the capacity for self help and strengthen it with capacity building and improve public service provision. With cooperatives back on the development agenda, the study further examines the revival and reform of agricultural cooperatives in Uganda. Three research papers were written to address three questions. The first question is addressed in Paper 2: What are the bases for general claims that the cooperative model has a potential to reduce poverty? Paper 3 addresses the second question: Why did a few agricultural cooperatives survive the crises in the cooperative movement in Uganda while most other cooperatives had collapsed? Paper 4 examines the third question: How are the reformed cooperatives differently organized and how are they contributing to reducing poverty? My findings show that the revival of cooperatives has included the introduction of new institutions, capacity building and promoting autonomous financially viable cooperatives. Paper 5 and Paper 6 analyze the impact of decentralization on provision of agricultural extension services. Together with colleagues I examine the perception of agricultural extension agents on decentralization. It is evident that widespread political interference is negatively affecting the overall good image of the National Agricultural Advisory Services. In summary, finding from the study contribute to answering the questions what mechanisms of service provision have worked for the poor, why they have worked whereas others have not and what so far has been the role of political decision makers in the process of governance reform in particular areas of service provision. Key words: Rural Services, Agricultural Extension, Poverty, Decentralization, Cooperatives, Uganda iii To my family iv Acknowledgements This research was conducted within the Project “Making Rural Services Work for the Poor: The Role of Rural Institutions and their Governance for Agriculture-Led Development”. I gratefully acknowledge the support of all researchers from the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, International Food Policy Research Institute, and Makerere University Kampala. My sincere appreciation goes to my first supervisor Prof. Dr. Markus Hanisch, thank you for your constant support, guidance and motivation throughout the writing of this thesis. I wish to extend my profound appreciation to my second supervisor Dr. Ephraim Nkonya for his mentoring and encouragement throughout my research study. I appreciate your time and effort and very useful comments on my work. My gratitude also goes to my third supervisor Prof. Bernard Bashaasha for his tremendous support and guidance during my field research stays in Uganda and also for his constructive comments. Likewise, my sincere appreciation goes to Dr. Margaret Mangehni for her valuable comments and support during my stay in Uganda. To Dr. Todd Benson, thank you for introducing me to writing research papers and also for reading and providing valuable comments on my policy notes and my research work. I am grateful to Mr. Reinhold Wilhelm for his constant support throughout the preparation of this thesis. I would also like to appreciate Mr. Patrick Lubega, Mr. John Ilukor, and Mr. Norman Kwikiriza for their time and tremendous support during the field studies, data collection and analysis. I would also like to acknowledge the support of my field research team who helped with the implementation and organization of the fieldwork and data collection. To all my interview partners in the various districts and cooperatives, I am very grateful for your time and for the valuable information you shared with me. To all my friends, thank you for your prayers, counselling and support. I would like to appreciate the Adarkwah family, Coffie Family, Mensah Family, Papa Yaw Asabere, Regina Asante, Otuo-Serebour, Dennis Awitty, Francis Obeng, Liza Meza, Guilia Secondini, Johanna Speer and all my friends who have supported in diverse ways contributing to the successful completion of this thesis. v To my family, Dad and Mum thank you for giving me the opportunity to be educated. I owe this work to you. To all my siblings, thank you for your care and support. To my lovely husband Richmond Asante, thank you for giving me a shoulder to lean on during difficult times and for your encouragement. What shall I say unto the Lord? All I got to say is thank you God for how far you have brought me, Lord I am truly grateful. To God be the glory vi ii Table of Contents Zusammenfassung _____________________________________________ II Abstract ______________________________________________________ III Acknowledgement ______________________________________________ V Table of contents _______________________________________________ VII Extended table of contents _______________________________________ VIII Abbreviations __________________________________________________ XI 1. Research Agenda ____________________________________________ 1 2. Explorative Study (Paper 1): “Making rural services work for the poor: Micro-level evidence from Rural Uganda” _______________________________________________ 26 3. Literature Review (Paper 2) “What do we know about cooperatives and Poverty reduction? A literature review” _____________________________________________________ 45 4. Case Study (Paper 3) “Why a few agricultural cooperatives survived the crisis in the cooperative movement in Uganda while many others collapsed?” _________________ 73 5. Case Study (Paper 4) “Restructuring and Reorganizing Post Liberalization Cooperatives in Uganda” ____________________________________________________ 93 6. Quantitative Study (Paper 5) “Pluralistic and demand-driven and traditional supply-driven agricultural extension services in Africa: Which reaches more farmers and women? The case of Uganda” __________________________________________ 116 7. Qualitative Study (Paper 6) “Agricultural extension reform and development in Uganda” __________ 137 8. Policy notes _________________________________________________ 163 9. Conclusions and research outlook ______________________________