Dr. Diane Kapgen

 

I studied African Development Studies in Geography, and Culture and Society in Africa at the University of Bayreuth. I obtained my Master in Population and Development Sciences at the University of Brussels, which provided me with a combined geography, anthropology, sociology, and agricultural sciences background. For my PhD research, I explored the process of agroecological transitions in rural Burkina Faso in a developing cooperation context, so as to understand how and why adoptions and adaptations of agroecologically-based development programs affect smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. My main research interests are critical development studies, agroecological transitions, rural and peasant studies, and global food system developments.

I strive to analyse questions evolving from the global food system, regional and rural development, as well as the sustainability debate beyond narrow academic disciplines, in order to include civil society, political and economic actors from different spheres and emphasise people’s own viewpoints. During my research career, I carried out in-depth empirical field research in different cultural settings, including Burkina Faso, Benin, Ethiopia, Germany, France and Luxembourg.

A longer-term vision that I intend to pursue is related to the situation of smallholder farmers in developing countries. As one of the major donor countries for development aid, Luxembourg’s agricultural systems and food practices directly influence the coherence and efficiency of rural and agricultural development programs. Only by transitioning national and global food systems, will it be feasible to achieve a more ecologically and socially sustainable agricultural and rural development pathway in both developing and developed regions of the world. Through the transformative approach of the Sustainable Food Project, I can contribute to this global and all-encompassing vision of sustainable development with a real impact potential.