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The Gates Foundation-funded YIIFSWA project recently undertook the ‘technology transfer’ aspects of Adopted Yam Minisett Technique (AYTM), encountering cultural obstacles that diminished profitability in an otherwise successful venture. Below is an excerpt detailing the relevant observation based on the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary (MSHR) experiences:
The problem of capital accumulation is ever present and the difficulties of obtaining loans at the commencement of each planting season at an extortionate interest rate keeps farmers and growers in a state of perpetual indebtedness. The restrictions around loan refunds and especially the inability to refund on time could take away from the potential of the AYMT to change the fortunes of participating farmers and growers...MSHR believes that it is now more ideally placed than previously due to YIIFSWA’s objective of yam improvement for income as well as its previous experience in micro credit. In the authors’ experience:
- No serious efforts could ever be made to plough back any profit into farmers’ enterprises. First there were always unexpected deaths or illnesses for which anyone known to have made any money was called upon, be they family or neighbors. You expected to be cursed if you did not respond.
- School fees, uniforms, and books are now among the “musts” in practically all families.
- No definite figure could ever be put on the cost of food, clothing, normal health, and education expenditure. However, families could generally give an estimate for expenditure but never for income.
- Then there was the pressure from peers or neighbors to show you were better off by buying extra furniture or improvements generally as proof of your good fortune. The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism were and are still unknown and would be difficult to practice. Indeed many improvements were badly needed and essential for wellbeing generally.
- There was always the possibility of resentment and sabotage would not be unknown.
- Problems of theft always reared their heads.
- But the biggest scourge was repayment of loans at high interest rates. No one ever referred to such issues when looking for help or considering the foregone. The cargo cult mentality and false expectations crippled possible progress.
- There was no real effort to plan for the next planting season and any savings set aside was for the ever occurring contingencies. Planning for such eventualities seemed to be tempting providence. Planning might be seen or experienced as countercultural.
Relevant to the ‘biggest scourge’ of high interest loans is the non-profit organization, Kiva.org, which facilitates online micro-lending to persons without access to traditional banking systems. Another significant experience of YIIFSWA/AYMT effort, which is quite intrinsic to technology transfer, are the agricultural traditions which are ‘grandfathered in’ and (understandably) resist change. An example is the preference of a subregion of Nigeria to prefer purchasing of seed yam from Ilushi market rather than on-farm clean seed production—despite the fact that it requires (1) costly and laborious transfer of seed yam by boat, (2) often expensive loans, and (3) the danger of theft of either yam or loaned funds (i.e. the space between Western Union and Ilushi market is often targeted).