Thesis subject

Going round in circles 1: The agricultural crisis and what Europe can learn from developing countries

The current crisis of agriculture in Europe and the ‘global north’ more generally, have spurred the thinking about more integrated forms of agricultural production. Besides organic farming, new concepts emerge, for example regenerative agriculture, circular agriculture, nature-inclusive agriculture, biodiverse farming etc. Such forms of integrated agriculture are more common in developing countries, in particular among smallholder farmers,

Interestingly, description and analysis of smallholder farming in developing countries is mostly done by anthropologists. Robert Netting, Paul Richards and Robert Rhodes, amongst others, have written classical works on the issue.

Research question

What can the current debate in the Western world about agriculture learn from smallholder farming in developing countries, in particular with respect to how social organization and institutional infrastructures connect with integrative agricultural practices?

Key literature

Works of mentioned authors and similar studies, literature on (social aspects) of regenerative agriculture and similar concepts.