Labour-Related Issues: An Assessment with respect to Agricultural Research in the Middle East and North Africa

Abstract

This is a position paper with which we wish to initiate discussion on the relationship between labour problems and agricultural research in the Middle East and North Africa. We hope that this discussion will stimulate and give directions to research. We are looking at labor issues with the special focus of relevance to agricultural research. Recent developments in agricultural research involve a system or, more specifically a farming system approach. This approach has a broad and usually multidisciplinary view of agricultural problems. Such a perspective requires that attention be paid to labor-related issues in agriculture and also emphasize the ramifications of the developments in the non-farm sector. This latter part has not been adequately treated in agricultural research. In this paper, we intend to put forth a frame in which labor-related issues can be addressed with such a perspective. The discussion is based on our own experiences as well as insights provided by the recent literature in the field.