Tropentag 2019 - Student blog - development

Interview with Michael Hauser: Transformative Change

Jose Jara — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 14:27:02 +0000

Michael Hauser: “we are dealing with a systemic challenge” by Juan José Egas Video Interview

From lab to field - speech of Christel Weller-Molongua

Vitalii Korol — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 17:56:23 +0000

Christel Weller-Molongua Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Gmbh, Germany

"No need for rocket efforts to implement the accumulated knowledge”, Christel Weller-Monongua opens the keynote presentation session of Tropentag 2014 with her cogent statement. Christel has worked in the development cooperation field for over 25 years now and she is convinced that there is no need for the research, if the results don't reach the farmers. ( Continue . . . )

We are social actors and not only homo economicos!

De-Registered User — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:28:35 +0000

"Do poor people need western ways to develop?Are these communities aware of their surroundings? Can they take risks?" Whenever we mention rural communities, the discussion focuses on how backward they may be and the need for infrastructure that would make their lives better. At the Tropentag this year, the discussions in the parallel session on rural development focussed on Risks and investments on the rural communities. Are these rural communities aware that they face certain risks? Are they risk averse? Are they well prepared in times of stress, shocks and crises that their systems face?

Studies conducted in Burkina Faso by Lucrezia Ticani indicate that these communities are much more aware of their environment and have devised different strategies to survive the wet and dry seasons while still being able to take some risk and minimise the risk.

To Feed or not to Feed?

De-Registered User — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:25:36 +0000

The Tropentag 2011 Thematic Presentations on Animal Production Systems discuss various trade-offs between different animal feeds and feeding practices. The livestock in question ranged from cattle to shrimp and even guinea pigs! Presentations on Animal Production Systems at Tropentag 2011. Transforming to Integrated Ecosystems The common thread through all the presentations was how to integrate livestock production into the natural environment. Sustainable aquaculture that aims at minimizing impact on the environment can in the long run provide farmers with much better livelihoods. We were presented with some great use of Google map imaging depicting the boundaries of land usage and how livestock production can be integrated without degrading the environments around it. A ratio between environmental land coverage and live stock land usage enforces the ongoing theme of 'doing more with less'.

"Increase production on all levels" and let the mass develop working solutions. Keynote Discussion Part 3/3

De-Registered User — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:51:58 +0000

Part 1: Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Conway and Paul Richards on how to include small holders into carbon trade Part 2"What you're calling marginal is political opposition"

"What you're calling marginal is political opposition" Keynote Discussion Part 2/3

De-Registered User — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 07:06:35 +0000

This is part 2 of a series of 3 videos. Part 1: Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Conway and Paul Richards on how to include small holders into carbon trade Part 3: Solutions to help people improve their situation, Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Conway and Paul Richards discuss

Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Conway and Paul Richards on how to include small holders into carbon trade. Keynote Discussion Part 1/3

De-Registered User — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:18:02 +0000

Worldbank sets a minimum amount of 2 Mio. € for carbon trade. That avoids small scale farmers from taking advantage of this trading scheme. Hear about the ideas of Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Brown and Paul Richards! This is part 1 of a series of videos. Part 2: "What you're calling marginal is political opposition" Keynote Discussion Part 3: Solutions to help people improve their situation, Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Conway and Paul Richards discuss

The illusion of marginality

De-Registered User — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:54:13 +0000

Marginal people? No creature is marginal to its own existence. Marginalisation is just a concept incorporated to our “social taxonomy” according to Prof. Paul Richards. Prof. Paul Richards (Technology and Agrarian Development) from the Wageningen University, argues that in ecology and evolutionary there is no such thing as “marginal people.” Everything has its own place. He argues that the creation of “marginal people” is just a reflection of the human need to classify its environment. It is also a reflection of our capacity to produce insidious harm based on our lack of trust on the others ("I trust myself more than I trust others, I can blame other more than I blame myself"). Prof. Richards argues that in early medieval times most social misfortunes were attributed to the unfitness of the rulers (they were accused for either not being able to do their work or to follow God’s desires), and that rulers were often “marginalised” from common society. This started to change during the later medieval period (the beginning of the market economy), when the blame shifted from elites to certain minorities.

Meet the Speakers: Prof. Sir Gordon Conway

De-Registered User — Sat, 28 May 2011 13:55:57 +0000

Prof. Sir Gordon Conway Gordon Conway is Professor of International Development in the Centre for Environmental Policy of the Imperial College of London and holds five honorary degrees and fellowships. Trained in agricultural ecology, he attended the universities of Bangor, Cambridge, West Indies (Trinidad) and California (Davis). In the 1960’s he was a pioneer of sustainable agriculture, developing integrated pest management programs for the State of Sabah in Malaysia. He joined Imperial College in 1970 setting up the Centre for Environmental Technology in 1976.

Oral Presentations III: Mixed Cropping, Agroforestry, and Biofuels

De-Registered User — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:33:47 +0000

This is a sample of some of the great mixed cropping, agroforestry and biofuels oral presentations at Tropentag Strategies to Use Biofuel Value Chain Potential in Sub-saharan Africa to Respond to Global Change Enhancing Low-productivity Farming in Tanzania and Linking to SMEs – Stefan Sieber Some of the most significant global drivers stem from energy demands. This study examined new strategies to improve value chains and biofuel potential in order to provide communities in Sub-Saharan Africa with multiple energy services. The study took place in Tanzania, however global applications of the findings was one of the overall objectives. One way to improve energy demands in developing countries is though linking small scale farmers with small- to medium-scale enterprises. This research project worked with stakeholders in order to develop feasible strategies to maximize profit. The output from this collaborative effort was the development of global scenarios (applications in other countries), biomass production, consumption patterns, as well as a participatory biomass value chain. The objective of the research was to conduct a sustainability impact analysis and an information system for policy/decision support.