SMALL FARMER TECHNOLOGY AND MARKETING ANALYSIS FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

GRANT WILL SUPPORT EXPANSION OF FACULTY IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND/OR RURAL SOCIOLOGY; PROVIDE RELEASE TIME FOR FACULTY TRAINING, RESEARCH, AND CONSULTATION SERVICES; AND SUPPORT WORKSHOPS, SEMINAR SERIES, LIBRARY EXPANSION, AND PUBLICATION OF RESEARCH. SPECIFICALLY, A&T WILL CONDUCT AN ESTIMATED FOUR RESEARCH STUDIES. RESEARCH WILL FUCUS ON SMALL FARMER TECHNOLOGY AND METHODS OF DISSEMINATING IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY THROUGH FORMAL AND NON-FORMAL PROCESSES. SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING RATE OF TECHNOLOGY ADAPTION, AS WELL AS ROLE OF NON-SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS (SOIL, CLIMATE, TOPOGRAPHY) WILL ALSO BE EXAMINED. MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH USING TECHNIQUES OF ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, AND OTHER SOCIAL SCIENCES WILL BE USED. A&T WILL SEEK TO DEVELOP COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH WITH IDC INSTITUTIONS IN THIS AREA. SIMILAR ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES WILL BE APPLIED TO CONVENTIONAL MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS USED BY SMALL FARMERS. ATTENTION WILL BE GIVEN COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL STRUCTURES AND THEIR RELATION TO CREDIT, TRANSPORTATION, STORAGE, AND DISTRIBUTION. ALTHOUGH NO MULTIDISCIPLINARY INSTITUTE OR CENTER WILL BE FORMED, AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF MEMBERS OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS WILL BE ESTABLISHED TO ADVISE ON ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FOR RESEARCH. IN ADDITION, A&T WILL EXPAND ITS UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE OFFERINGS IN ECONOMICS, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, AND RURAL SOCIOLOGY, AND WILL REVISE COURSES TO REFLECT ASPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY THE GRANT-SUPPORTED RESEARCH. FIFTEEN GRADUATE STUDENTS WILL BE SUPPORTED IN AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF LDC"S. UNDERGRADUATES PURSUING SIMILAR COURSES OF STUDY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR STIPENDS.