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International development scholar Phil McMichael retires By |
June 30, 2021
Phil McMichael, whose decades of research in global food justice has reshaped thinking around rural and international development, will become professor emeritus of global development on July 1.
A renowned teacher, mentor, researcher and author, McMichael is internationally recognized for his scholarship in rural development and other social science disciplines. His scholarship promoting an equitable, sustainable and just food system has resonated with academics as well as grassroots activists in diverse settings, from South and East Asia to Latin America.
“To be one of the world’s most influential scholars in food studies and international development is an extraordinary accomplishment. But to be one of the most respected and admired and well-loved scholars at the same time is quite rare – yet Phil McMichael has managed it throughout his extraordinary career,” said Jun Borras, professor of agrarian studies at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at The Hague. “Despite his towering stature, Phil sincerely listens to and respects other researchers including those who come from less prominent institutions and those from the Global South, as well as non-academic public intellectuals from social movements.”
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Rachel Bezner Kerr: Taking a farmer-led approach to food justice
Over the last few decades, the government of Malawi provided farmers in the country with subsidies to purchase synthetic fertilizers and commercial maize seed. Over time, the subsidy programs transformed thousands of small farming operations into primarily maize fields, and increased reliance on purchased inputs. It was a pattern replicated across many countries in rural Africa.
But the change came with a cost. Indigenous knowledge on organic farming practices faded, and the move away from traditional, diversified farming rippled through the social dynamics of the landlocked country in the southeast part of Africa that is home to now more than 19 million people. When the subsidy was removed in the 1990s, the price of fertilizer increased dramatically, and many farmers did not have knowledge or alternatives to fall back on. Since families relied on maize as their primary food source and as a source of income, rates of malnutrition increased across the country.
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