Knowledge Systems for Agro ecological Interventions in the Central Cattle Corridor

Course:  Knowledge Systems for Agro ecological Interventions

Assignment: Identify an Agricultural community and determine in that community:

·        Knowledge systems

·        Agro ecological approaches

·        Epistemology

·        Ontology

·        Interventions and how they were approached.

Lecturer: Prof. Zake Whycliff

Student: Hellen Abbo Owasa

Student Number: 2018-PH41-1001

Date: 12^th November 2018

 

Knowledge Systems for Agro Ecological Interventions

Community where I might carry out my Research

The Central cattle corridor districts (Kiboga, Nakasongola, Luweero, Sembabule, Mubende and Nakaseke)

Knowledge systems

Knowledge is justified belief; it’s a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills, which is acquired through experience or education by perceiving, discovering or learning (https://tophat.com/marketplace/social-science)

A system is an assemblage or combination of things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole. Knowledge can refer to a theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. It can be implicit or explicit; it can be more or less formal or systematic.(https://www.dictionary.com/browse/intersystem)

Knowledge acquisition involves cognitive processes: perception, communication, and reasoning; while knowledge is also said to be related to the capacity of acknowledgement in human beings ((https://books.google.co.ug/books)

The definition of knowledge is a matter of ongoing debate among philosophers in the field of epistemology. The classical definition, described but not ultimately endorsed by Plato specifies that a statement must meet 3 criteria in order to be considered knowledge; it must be justified, true, and believed (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Knowledge)

Kinds of Knowledge

Knowledge has often been divided  into 3 broad domains: personal, procedural, and propositional (https://www.psychologytoday.com).

Personal knowledge relates to firsthand experience, idiosyncratic, preferences, and autobiographical facts. Proceedural knowledge refers to knowledge on how to do something, such as how to play basketball or ride a bike. Propositional knowledge refers to general truth, claims about the world and how we know it. An important difference between philosophy and psychology can be seen in these various kinds of knowledge.

The Knowledge systems in place within this community include:

·         Cultural institutions

·         Clans

·         Traditional medicine

·         Religious institutions

·         Farmer Field Schools

·         Government and private Schools

·         Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and Community Based Organisations CBOs

·         Local Government

·         Metaphysical sources

Agro ecological approaches

Agro ecology is the study of ecological processes applied to agricultural production systems. Bringing ecological principles to bear in agro ecosystems can suggest novel management approaches that would not otherwise be considered (https://en.wikipedia.org)

The term agro ecology can be used in multiple ways, as a science, as a movement and as a practice. Broadly stated, it is the study of the role of agriculture in the world. Agro ecology provides an interdisciplinary framework with which to study the activity of agriculture. In this framework, agriculture does not exist as an isolated entity, but as part of an ecology of contexts. Agro ecology draws upon basic ecological principles for its conceptual framework.( http://environment-ecology.com)

Agro ecology is one of many terms people use to describe an approach to farming. Other approaches include sustainable agriculture, ecological agriculture, low-external input agriculture or people centered agriculture. Agro ecology centers on food production that makes the best use of nature’s goods and services while not damaging these resources. It applies ecology to the design of farming systems; uses a whole –systems approach to farming and food systems; and links ecology, culture, economics and society to create healthy environments, food production and communities.

An approach is a way of dealing with something or somebody (https://www.enotes.com)

The agro ecological approaches within the central cattle corridor include:

·         School gardens (validations within the school gardens) :Demonstrations are set up to teach children climate smart practices that they are expected to go and replicate at their different households.

·         Biodiversity conservation for the purpose of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from extinction and erosion of biotic interactions.

·         Heritage conservation; done for protecting heritage and cultural resources.

·         Best agronomic practices of Indigenous crops like bananas, maize, coffee, beans. Promoted within the community

·         Pasture multiplication and conservation: Grazing lands with the shrubs, grasses plus other biotic and abiotic factors.

Knowledge Systems for Agro Ecological Interventions

 Epistemology

Epistemology is the study of knowledge philosophically. Defined narrowly, it’s the study of knowledge and justified belief. Epistemology is concerned with the following questions:

·         What are the necessary and sufficient conditions of knowledge?

·         What are its sources? What is its structure? What are the limits?

As the study of justified beliefs, epistemology aims to answer questions like: How are we to understand the concept of justification? What makes justified beliefs justified? Is justification internal or external to one’s mind?

More broadly epistemology is about issues having to do with the creation and dissemination of knowledge in particular areas of inquiry.

Careful and attentive reasoning would be an example of an epistemic virtue while jumping to conclusions would be an epistemic defect (Steup, 2018).

 The Epistemological sources of knowledge within this proposed community:

 Epistemology as a philosophical concept that means searching for new knowledge, determining the validity, scope and the distinction between justified belief and opinion; in this regard therefore,  below are  mechanisms through which new knowledge is acquired/ searched for in this proposed community

·         Traditional healers and churches…metaphysics

·         NGOs and Schools…Empiricism

·         Pragmatism….religion,schools,clans

·         Rationalism…Schools,

·         Metaphysical beliefs

·         Constructivism…clans, traditionalism

Knowledge Systems for Agro Ecological Interventions

Ontology

Ontology is a branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being. Questions about the nature of the universe or if there is a god; what happens after physical death are all ontological (“Ontology - New World Encyclopedia,” )

The sources of knowledge under this section include:

·         Existence of community swamps where there is biodiversity

·         Forests with the biotic and abiotic factors

·         Watersheds

·         Schools if teachers are there and what kind of knowledge

Interventions and how they were approached.

The under listed interventions were approached through community dialogues; using the Farmer field school methodology and routine extension services.

·         Soil and water conservation practices like planting basins; contour trenches; green mulch and live mulch

·         Promote conservation of cultural heritage

·         Multiplication and  conservation of indigenous crops varieties