John Magistro - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by John Magistro
Journal of Political Ecology, Dec 1, 1999
Living Under Contract is a meticulously crafted compilation of comparative case studies on contra... more Living Under Contract is a meticulously crafted compilation of comparative case studies on contract farming carried out from 1986 to 1988 in seven sub-Saharan countries under the auspices of the Institute for Development Anthropology. The editors have embarked on an ambitious journey, tackling the broad theoretical and empirical parameters under which highly amorphous and heterogeneous forms of the contracting process have emerged in recent times. In this sense, capturing the wide permutations and contours of a reconfigured agro-industrial food sector in Africa, the editors and contributors to this compendium have successfully accomplished their mission. The strength of this edited volume lies in the parity and complementarity of development narratives that so skillfully merge theory with praxis. The editors are highly adept in providing the theoretical backdrop, mapping out the historical, social, political, and economic topography of the contracting process, while each authored case study casts light on the broad configurations under which the contracting arrangement takes its variegated form and function. This volume is a study, writ large, of the reconfiguration and industrialization of the agrarian sector in sub-Saharan Africa over the past several decades, of which contract farming has become a central defining feature of the landscape. The editors are explicit in stating their theoretical affiliation from the outset in the introductory chapter, positing a neo-Marxian reading of the contracting script as "a form of industrial appropriation of discrete activities within the agrarian production process" (p.6). The introduction, by Little and Watts, followed by Watts" chapter entitled "Life under Contract," very nicely sketch out the thematic contours, historical trajectories, and interpretive theoretical frames that lie at the boundaries of the contracting process. Little and Watts set the stage by briefly situating the contract in its historical context, identifying its early forebears in the United States, Europe, and colonial Africa dating back to the 1930s and 1940s. They adopt an extended, albeit precise definition of contracting as: forms of vertical coordination between growers and buyers-processors that directly shape production decisions through contractually specifying market obligations (by volume, value, quality, and, at times, advanced price determination); provide specific inputs; and exercise some control at the point of production (i.e., a division of management functions between contractor and contractee) (p. 9). The editors are quick to point out that sound empirical studies of contract farming in Africa, grounded in field-based microeconomic data, have been quite sparse. Previous attempts at delineation of contracting have focused on "technological or commodity-based approaches," neglecting the political, historical, and social contexts that are critical in shaping the contractual process. Thus, the value-added contribution of this volume is the situationally specific, contextual locus of the contract, embedded within a larger political and historical economy. It is the complex web of intersecting political, historical, and social forces, rather than the technological attributes of the commodity per se ö according to the authors-that drives the overall performance and outcome of the contracting arrangement. Little and Watts identify four major unifying themes that underlie the range of case studies presented in this book: the saliency of historical and politico-economic contexts, the collusion of interests and institutional linkages between state and private capital, the primacy of labor dynamics and production relations, and the undercurrents of grower politics and strategies. They Reviews
Climate Research, 2001
This paper provides a historical frame in which to read the sociopolitical and economic context t... more This paper provides a historical frame in which to read the sociopolitical and economic context that has shaped human behavior and adaptation to climatic vagaries in one of the largest Sahelian river basins of west Africa-the Senegal River Valley. It is argued that future modeling of adaptation in impact studies should draw from actual empirical observation by taking into account the historical, social, political, and © Inter-Research 2001 • www.int-res.com
Practicing Anthropology, 1997
Practicing Anthropology, 2000
Climate Research, 2001
In attempting to bridge global analyses on climate change with locally identifiable processes of ... more In attempting to bridge global analyses on climate change with locally identifiable processes of community response and perception on climate, one may ask how an anthropological focus on locality can be made relevant to current scientific methods that privilege © Inter-Research 2001 • www.int-res.com
American Anthropologist, 1998
Famine Crimes: Politics and the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa. Alex de Waal. Bloomington: In... more Famine Crimes: Politics and the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa. Alex de Waal. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1997.238 pp.
... the northern boundary of Senegal occurred in the wake of a similar border dispute eleven days... more ... the northern boundary of Senegal occurred in the wake of a similar border dispute eleven days earlier between Mauritanian herders and Senegalese farmers on the ... The black-on-black conflict that initially erupted at Diawara and then Matam, set off a deadly chain of events ...
Information Development, 2007
... resolution moving from regional, to national, to sub-national layers enables increasing a... more ... resolution moving from regional, to national, to sub-national layers enables increasing accuracy and precision in linking GIS and ... and used to derive the map layers required for the PRISM application study. ... 'Good road networks' refers to the quality of the road network, which ...
Irrigation and Drainage, 2007
This paper relates the field experience of an international NGO in strengthening linkages between... more This paper relates the field experience of an international NGO in strengthening linkages between irrigation development and poverty reduction. Poverty Reduction through Irrigation and Smallholder Markets (PRISM) is introduced as a methodology for combining small-plot irrigation technology with complementary inputs and services to enhance small farmers' ability to participate effectively in markets for high-value agricultural commodities. Data from field projects in Nepal and India indicate that the PRISM approach can lead to significant additional income for small farmers and other micro and small enterprises in agricultural value chains. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Cet article relate l'expérience d'une ONG internationale dans le renforcement des liens entre le développement de l'irrigation et la réduction de la pauvreté. La Réduction de la Pauvreté par Petite Irrigation et Mise en Marché (PRISM) est présentée comme une méthode combinant la technologie d'irrigation à petite échelle avec la fourniture d'intrants et de services complémentaires pour augmenter la capacité de petits producteurs à participer pleinement aux marchés de produits agricoles à haute valeur ajoutée. Des résultats de projets concrets au Népal et en Inde indiquent que l'approche PRISM peut conduire à des augmentations de revenu significatives pour des petits producteurs et d'autres entreprises, petites et très petites, dans les filières agricoles. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Journal of Political Ecology, Dec 1, 1999
Living Under Contract is a meticulously crafted compilation of comparative case studies on contra... more Living Under Contract is a meticulously crafted compilation of comparative case studies on contract farming carried out from 1986 to 1988 in seven sub-Saharan countries under the auspices of the Institute for Development Anthropology. The editors have embarked on an ambitious journey, tackling the broad theoretical and empirical parameters under which highly amorphous and heterogeneous forms of the contracting process have emerged in recent times. In this sense, capturing the wide permutations and contours of a reconfigured agro-industrial food sector in Africa, the editors and contributors to this compendium have successfully accomplished their mission. The strength of this edited volume lies in the parity and complementarity of development narratives that so skillfully merge theory with praxis. The editors are highly adept in providing the theoretical backdrop, mapping out the historical, social, political, and economic topography of the contracting process, while each authored case study casts light on the broad configurations under which the contracting arrangement takes its variegated form and function. This volume is a study, writ large, of the reconfiguration and industrialization of the agrarian sector in sub-Saharan Africa over the past several decades, of which contract farming has become a central defining feature of the landscape. The editors are explicit in stating their theoretical affiliation from the outset in the introductory chapter, positing a neo-Marxian reading of the contracting script as "a form of industrial appropriation of discrete activities within the agrarian production process" (p.6). The introduction, by Little and Watts, followed by Watts" chapter entitled "Life under Contract," very nicely sketch out the thematic contours, historical trajectories, and interpretive theoretical frames that lie at the boundaries of the contracting process. Little and Watts set the stage by briefly situating the contract in its historical context, identifying its early forebears in the United States, Europe, and colonial Africa dating back to the 1930s and 1940s. They adopt an extended, albeit precise definition of contracting as: forms of vertical coordination between growers and buyers-processors that directly shape production decisions through contractually specifying market obligations (by volume, value, quality, and, at times, advanced price determination); provide specific inputs; and exercise some control at the point of production (i.e., a division of management functions between contractor and contractee) (p. 9). The editors are quick to point out that sound empirical studies of contract farming in Africa, grounded in field-based microeconomic data, have been quite sparse. Previous attempts at delineation of contracting have focused on "technological or commodity-based approaches," neglecting the political, historical, and social contexts that are critical in shaping the contractual process. Thus, the value-added contribution of this volume is the situationally specific, contextual locus of the contract, embedded within a larger political and historical economy. It is the complex web of intersecting political, historical, and social forces, rather than the technological attributes of the commodity per se ö according to the authors-that drives the overall performance and outcome of the contracting arrangement. Little and Watts identify four major unifying themes that underlie the range of case studies presented in this book: the saliency of historical and politico-economic contexts, the collusion of interests and institutional linkages between state and private capital, the primacy of labor dynamics and production relations, and the undercurrents of grower politics and strategies. They Reviews
Climate Research, 2001
This paper provides a historical frame in which to read the sociopolitical and economic context t... more This paper provides a historical frame in which to read the sociopolitical and economic context that has shaped human behavior and adaptation to climatic vagaries in one of the largest Sahelian river basins of west Africa-the Senegal River Valley. It is argued that future modeling of adaptation in impact studies should draw from actual empirical observation by taking into account the historical, social, political, and © Inter-Research 2001 • www.int-res.com
Practicing Anthropology, 1997
Practicing Anthropology, 2000
Climate Research, 2001
In attempting to bridge global analyses on climate change with locally identifiable processes of ... more In attempting to bridge global analyses on climate change with locally identifiable processes of community response and perception on climate, one may ask how an anthropological focus on locality can be made relevant to current scientific methods that privilege © Inter-Research 2001 • www.int-res.com
American Anthropologist, 1998
Famine Crimes: Politics and the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa. Alex de Waal. Bloomington: In... more Famine Crimes: Politics and the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa. Alex de Waal. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1997.238 pp.
... the northern boundary of Senegal occurred in the wake of a similar border dispute eleven days... more ... the northern boundary of Senegal occurred in the wake of a similar border dispute eleven days earlier between Mauritanian herders and Senegalese farmers on the ... The black-on-black conflict that initially erupted at Diawara and then Matam, set off a deadly chain of events ...
Information Development, 2007
... resolution moving from regional, to national, to sub-national layers enables increasing a... more ... resolution moving from regional, to national, to sub-national layers enables increasing accuracy and precision in linking GIS and ... and used to derive the map layers required for the PRISM application study. ... 'Good road networks' refers to the quality of the road network, which ...
Irrigation and Drainage, 2007
This paper relates the field experience of an international NGO in strengthening linkages between... more This paper relates the field experience of an international NGO in strengthening linkages between irrigation development and poverty reduction. Poverty Reduction through Irrigation and Smallholder Markets (PRISM) is introduced as a methodology for combining small-plot irrigation technology with complementary inputs and services to enhance small farmers' ability to participate effectively in markets for high-value agricultural commodities. Data from field projects in Nepal and India indicate that the PRISM approach can lead to significant additional income for small farmers and other micro and small enterprises in agricultural value chains. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Cet article relate l'expérience d'une ONG internationale dans le renforcement des liens entre le développement de l'irrigation et la réduction de la pauvreté. La Réduction de la Pauvreté par Petite Irrigation et Mise en Marché (PRISM) est présentée comme une méthode combinant la technologie d'irrigation à petite échelle avec la fourniture d'intrants et de services complémentaires pour augmenter la capacité de petits producteurs à participer pleinement aux marchés de produits agricoles à haute valeur ajoutée. Des résultats de projets concrets au Népal et en Inde indiquent que l'approche PRISM peut conduire à des augmentations de revenu significatives pour des petits producteurs et d'autres entreprises, petites et très petites, dans les filières agricoles. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.