Smallholder Drip Irrigation in Burkina Faso: The Role of Development Brokers
研究了布基纳法索三个推广滴灌的发展项目，发现发展中间人（而非农民）主导了项目利益协调和成效解读，导致农民需求被边缘化。
Smallholder drip irrigation is widely held as a promising technology for water saving, poverty reduction and food security, despite a dearth of evidence of benefits to farmers, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In this article, we document three development programmes promoting drip irrigation in Burkina Faso. Using actor network theory and insights from critical development studies, we show that development brokers play a key role in aligning interests, shaping activities and interpreting project outcomes. They are accountable towards each other rather than to farmers. This means that success is interpreted through development agencies lenses and with the intention of continuing involvement in future projects. Small farmers’ interests and uptake of the technology are of secondary importance.