We open this first issue of 2021 with a paper from Africa: ‘The impact of mobile phone use on farmers’ livelihoods in post-insurgency Northeast Nigeria’, by Chioma Anadozie, Mathias Fonkam, Jean-Paul Cleron and Muhammadou MO Kah of the American University of Nigeria. This study combines the strengths of the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) and Systems Theory (ST), as a theoretical lens to understand the impact of mobile phone use in farming and its developmental contributions to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in post-insurgency northeast Nigeria. The authors have developed a qualitative system dynamics model depicting mobile phone use in farming. The main feedback loops show that the greatest obstacle to farming in the area is insecurity and climate variability. However, better access to information and communications afforded by mobile phones empowers farmers and enables farmers to overcome these vulnerabilities. The paper contributes to knowledge and informs practice by extending the understanding of the impact of mobile phone use in farming through system dynmics modelling.

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社论

我们在2021年第一期杂志上发表了非洲的一篇论文：“手机使用对尼日利亚叛乱后东北东北地区农民生计的影响”，作者是Chioma Anadozie，Mathias Fonkam，Jean-Paul Cleron和美国的Muhammadou MO Kah。尼日利亚大学。这项研究结合了可持续生计框架（SLF）和系统理论（ST）的优势，以此来理解手机在农业中的影响及其对尼日利亚叛乱后东北部小农户生计的发展贡献的理论视角。作者开发了描述手机在农业中使用的定性系统动力学模型。主要反馈回路表明，该地区耕作的最大障碍是不安全感和气候多变性。然而，通过移动电话更好地访问信息和通信，可以增强农民的能力，并使农民能够克服这些漏洞。本文通过系统动力学模型扩展了对移动电话在农业中的影响的理解，从而为知识做出了贡献，并为实践提供了信息。