Theses and Dissertations Collection

The civil conflict in Liberia, in West Africa, caused significant social, infrastructural, and ecological changes across the country (1989-2003). Reconstructing the agricultural sector, with attention to the needs of women farmers, has been one of the government’s priorities for national recovery and development. In light of this initiative, a transdisciplinary study in north-central Liberia was conducted to investigate smallholder farmer challenges, access to resources, and household agency. Further, the study explores the potential for agricultural extension services to address the identified limitations toward greater farmer adaptive capacity and gender equality. Lastly, an adapted version of the Feminist Systems Thinking framework is used to carry out an introspection and process reflection of the Liberia project. The results of this dissertation advance knowledge of how extension services can improve connection between rural and urban populations, transform local gende​r contracts, and build farmer adaptive capacity in the Liberian study area, with lessons for other post-conflict settings. It also provides guidance for researchers, especially working in remote or post-conflict settings, to plan for and adapt to challenges that arise in inter and transdisciplinary research processes.