Impact of livestock: Dairy development in SW Tanzania – mediation and translation in innovation, & Sustainability assessments of low-input ruminant production systems

Session:  There is a long history of dairy development in Rungwe District, Mbeya Region, Tanzania. Part of this presentation offers a case study of the introduction of dairy cows in one ward since the early 1980s. It suggests how ideas from science and technology studies (STS) about innovation can help understand how dairy cows have become ubiquitous within 35 years of their first introduction. Drawing on over a year of participant observation among farmers, it suggests STS helps clarify contemporary challenges and opportunities.

Biographical Information: Ben Eyre is a PhD student at the School of Social Sciences at the University of Manchester in the UK. Previously he was Head of Charity Advisory and Programmes at the top 10 UK charity, the Charities Aid Foundation, with responsibility for international grant-making and advisory work with global philanthropists, foundations, and impact investors. He has written for popular and academic publications and spoken at major conferences on investment, innovation, and philanthropy. He is currently conducting long term fieldwork in Tanzania.