Publication et communications en Français
- Conférence à Jacqueville avec M. Yacé, président de la région des grands ponts, en Février 2015.
- Passage télévisé suite à la conférence (deux passages sur la chaîne Ivoirienne TV2)
- M Michel Anoi, responsable du journal de la région des Grand Ponts, a pris contact pour un interview le Lundi 23 Février 2015 lors de la réunion. Email: anomichel123@yahoo.fr - 09265229. M. Hervé Gobou, (07737586) directeur de publication de la Voix des Grands ponts est venu à la réunion du 23 février pour réaliser l'interview.
- Les conférences sur le cocotier initialement prévues à Grand Lahou et Abidjan n'ont pas été réalisées. Le CNRA a été invité à participer à ces conférences.
Retour à la vue d'ensemble du projet.
Publications en Anglais
Première publication dans le
At the URL:
http://foreststreesagroforestry.org/update-on-gender-research-projects/#bio
Understanding the knowledge and practices of the local women and men who manage tree crops is crucial. It helps to assess the dynamics of crop evolution, to better support the farmers and, when feasible, to orientate dynamics towards a more efficient conservation of tree genetic resources.
Traditional, gendered knowledge of farmers regarding the breeding and reproductive systems of their tree crops are insufficiently assessed at the global level. The interest of further studying the perception of farmers on this topic was first underlined by a group of researchers working in the framework of the International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT). Preliminary interviews focused on coconut were conducted in 2012 in French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka. A working hypothesis was that the ways farmers perceive the reproduction patterns of their crops influences their practices in terms of management and conservation of genetic resources.
In French Polynesia, farmers categorize coconuts (i.e . dry drupes) and coconut palms as ‘female’ and ‘male’ according to four distinct classification systems. One female/male descriptive grouping is linked to the shape of the fruits; two more groupings are linked to the way fruits germinate; and the last one is linked to the general appearance of the palm. ‘Females’ are always preferred to ‘males’ as planting material (see full report).
From the modern scientific point of view, coconut inflorescences all include both male and female flowers, but more than 80% of the interviewed farmers did not know this. Although the farmers’ representation does not fit the modern scientific knowledge, there are good reasons to believe that their classifications are useful from a pragmatic point of view and serve them to efficiently select and breed their coconut palms. The coconut palm has an intermediate reproductive system. Most of the fruits result from the crossing of two coconut palms but some come from self-pollination of the mother palm and, as there is an inbreeding depression, the resulting coconut palms produce 20 to 30% less than average.
By selecting ‘female’ seedlings, Polynesians may remove those originating from self-pollination. Given the differences between local and modern scientific knowledge, imposing without care the scientific approach may have a negative effect on farmer’s traditional practices.
The pertinence of expanding the study to understand gendered traditional knowledge related to other (tree and non-tree) crops was quickly evident. In early 2015, additional structured interviews focused on local knowledge about the reproduction of coconut palm, cocoa, oil palm, banana and cassava were conducted with 147 women and 157 men in 17 villages or clusters, in three regions of Ivory Coast.
Overall, 40% of farmers claimed not to know how plants reproduce or referred only to God in their responses. Others (19%) connected plant reproduction to climatic or natural phenomena, such as rain, sun, and rich soils. Twenty two percent of farmers described reproduction mechanisms in ways paralleling scientific explanations. Yet, in 14% of these cases, although farmers were aware of the scientific explanation, they did not believe it to be accurate. Eleven percent thought that reproduction occurred through underground interactions between the roots and the soil, or by contact between the roots of neighbouring trees.
Responses show strong differences by gender, ethnic groups, age and region. For instance, women (27%) and young people (26%) more often referred to natural forces than did men (12%) and older participants (16%), whose explanation more closely approached the modern scientific understanding of plant reproduction. Among the five crops studied, descriptions were closest to the scientific explanation for cocoa (32%) and coconut palm (26%).
Interviewed farmers belong to 25 different ethnic groups. Unlike what was observed in Polynesia, the case of Ivory Coast shows no well-established, shared traditional knowledge on plant reproduction.The diversity and heterogeneity of their responses may be a sign of a society that is both very diverse and in rapid mutation.
The REPROCROP project is funded by the Agropolis Foundation and implemented by CIRAD (AGAP and INNOVATION research units), the LAASSE Laboratory of FHB University, ALP and IGDP NGOs, in partnership with Bioversity International and the HISOMA laboratory (France). CNRA and ANADER kindly provided planting material (coconut and cassava) for distribution to farmers.
For more information contact Roland Bourdeix at roland.bourdeix@cirad.fr
Retour à la vue d'ensemble du projet.
- Conférence à Jacqueville avec M. Yacé, président de la région des grands ponts, en Février 2015.
- Passage télévisé suite à la conférence (deux passages sur la chaîne Ivoirienne TV2)
- M Michel Anoi, responsable du journal de la région des Grand Ponts, a pris contact pour un interview le Lundi 23 Février 2015 lors de la réunion. Email: anomichel123@yahoo.fr - 09265229. M. Hervé Gobou, (07737586) directeur de publication de la Voix des Grands ponts est venu à la réunion du 23 février pour réaliser l'interview.
- Les conférences sur le cocotier initialement prévues à Grand Lahou et Abidjan n'ont pas été réalisées. Le CNRA a été invité à participer à ces conférences.
Retour à la vue d'ensemble du projet.
Bourdeix
REPROCROP: Understanding local perceptions of tree crop reproductionPremière publication dans le
At the URL:
http://foreststreesagroforestry.org/update-on-gender-research-projects/#bio
- REPROCROP: Understanding local perceptions of tree crop reproduction
Photo: Roland Bourdeix/CIRAD
Understanding the knowledge and practices of the local women and men who manage tree crops is crucial. It helps to assess the dynamics of crop evolution, to better support the farmers and, when feasible, to orientate dynamics towards a more efficient conservation of tree genetic resources.
Traditional, gendered knowledge of farmers regarding the breeding and reproductive systems of their tree crops are insufficiently assessed at the global level. The interest of further studying the perception of farmers on this topic was first underlined by a group of researchers working in the framework of the International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT). Preliminary interviews focused on coconut were conducted in 2012 in French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka. A working hypothesis was that the ways farmers perceive the reproduction patterns of their crops influences their practices in terms of management and conservation of genetic resources.
In French Polynesia, farmers categorize coconuts (i.e . dry drupes) and coconut palms as ‘female’ and ‘male’ according to four distinct classification systems. One female/male descriptive grouping is linked to the shape of the fruits; two more groupings are linked to the way fruits germinate; and the last one is linked to the general appearance of the palm. ‘Females’ are always preferred to ‘males’ as planting material (see full report).
From the modern scientific point of view, coconut inflorescences all include both male and female flowers, but more than 80% of the interviewed farmers did not know this. Although the farmers’ representation does not fit the modern scientific knowledge, there are good reasons to believe that their classifications are useful from a pragmatic point of view and serve them to efficiently select and breed their coconut palms. The coconut palm has an intermediate reproductive system. Most of the fruits result from the crossing of two coconut palms but some come from self-pollination of the mother palm and, as there is an inbreeding depression, the resulting coconut palms produce 20 to 30% less than average.
By selecting ‘female’ seedlings, Polynesians may remove those originating from self-pollination. Given the differences between local and modern scientific knowledge, imposing without care the scientific approach may have a negative effect on farmer’s traditional practices.
The pertinence of expanding the study to understand gendered traditional knowledge related to other (tree and non-tree) crops was quickly evident. In early 2015, additional structured interviews focused on local knowledge about the reproduction of coconut palm, cocoa, oil palm, banana and cassava were conducted with 147 women and 157 men in 17 villages or clusters, in three regions of Ivory Coast.
Photo: Roland Bourdeix/CIRAD
Overall, 40% of farmers claimed not to know how plants reproduce or referred only to God in their responses. Others (19%) connected plant reproduction to climatic or natural phenomena, such as rain, sun, and rich soils. Twenty two percent of farmers described reproduction mechanisms in ways paralleling scientific explanations. Yet, in 14% of these cases, although farmers were aware of the scientific explanation, they did not believe it to be accurate. Eleven percent thought that reproduction occurred through underground interactions between the roots and the soil, or by contact between the roots of neighbouring trees.
Responses show strong differences by gender, ethnic groups, age and region. For instance, women (27%) and young people (26%) more often referred to natural forces than did men (12%) and older participants (16%), whose explanation more closely approached the modern scientific understanding of plant reproduction. Among the five crops studied, descriptions were closest to the scientific explanation for cocoa (32%) and coconut palm (26%).
Interviewed farmers belong to 25 different ethnic groups. Unlike what was observed in Polynesia, the case of Ivory Coast shows no well-established, shared traditional knowledge on plant reproduction.The diversity and heterogeneity of their responses may be a sign of a society that is both very diverse and in rapid mutation.
The REPROCROP project is funded by the Agropolis Foundation and implemented by CIRAD (AGAP and INNOVATION research units), the LAASSE Laboratory of FHB University, ALP and IGDP NGOs, in partnership with Bioversity International and the HISOMA laboratory (France). CNRA and ANADER kindly provided planting material (coconut and cassava) for distribution to farmers.
For more information contact Roland Bourdeix at roland.bourdeix@cirad.fr
Retour à la vue d'ensemble du projet.