NERICA, Kimaa, and the Sustainability of Rice Farming in Magbainba Ndohahun Chiefdom, Sierre Leone: An Anthropological Perspective

Abstract

With the looming threat of a world food shortage, it has become increasingly important for developing African countries to strengthen their indigenous farming practices. This thesis examines the system of rice farming within Sierra Leone's rural Magbainba Ndohahun Chiefdom, which the author visited in 2008 as part of a University of Washington interdisciplinary program on rice farming methods. Practices related to fallowing, fertilization, hired labor, and land tenure (kimaa) are discussed and placed within the context of long-term sustainability.