International technical interventions in agriculture and rural development: Some basic trends, issues, and questions

Reference Type Journal Article
Year of Publication
1988
Author
Journal
Agriculture and Human Values
Volume
5
Issue
1-2
Pagination
6-15
Date Published
12/1988
Language
English
Download citation
Collection Topic
Keywords
Abstract
This paper presents some of the basic trends, issues, and questions regarding the last four decades of international development cooperation in agriculture. The impact of technical cooperation tends to account for only a small proportion of change; the bulk of the variance being caused by internal, rather than external, forces and events. The paper reviews both multilateral and bilateral technical cooperation, and then illustrates with the case of U.S. universities in international technical cooperation. It goes on to question the difference between "development" and "merely change," and asks who are the real beneficiaries? Finally, the paper suggests the following factors affecting continuity and change as forces to be analysed with respect to any attempt at technical cooperation: biological, physical, cultural, social, economic, administrative, political, and diplomatic. The world experience of the past four decades confirms that without consideration of such a human ecology of continuity and change, well-meaning interventions in international technical cooperation are likely to have unintended consequences for both "donors" and "recipients."
Notes
This article from Agriculture and Human Values, 5 (1-2) listed independently.
URL
DOI
Journal Abbreviation
Agric Hum Values
ISSN
0889-048X; 1572-8366
Short Title
International technical interventions in agriculture and rural development