Development without Intervention: A Successful Self‐Reliance Initiative of Rural Development and Urban Growth in The Sudan

Abstract

We investigate the complex relationship between small‐scale farming, urban‐rural remittances and rural development. We highlight a successful, innovative self‐reliance approach in which traditional farmers changed their mode of production, improved their income, and enhanced rural development, including urbanization, in Shubbola village of western Sudan. The major initial driver was investment from remittances by family members who had migrated to urban centers, thus overcoming the problem of access to credit/capital. Consequently, the increased use of tractor technology helped farmers overcome agricultural labor shortages, and increase their farm size and productivity. Increased income from remittances and farming broadened economic and social improvements, including lifestyle and the built environment. In the process, Shubbola has grown into a viable and vibrant town, providing its residents with diverse socioeconomic services and modern infrastructure. This case illustrates the potential of development from within with minimal direct input from the government, nongovernmental organizations, and international donors.

Settlement in Transition: a Transformation of a Village into a Small Town in Western Sudan

“…However, village-based market centers in rainfed cultivation areas have also flourished and gradually transformed into small towns as defined by the Sudan 2008 census (Ibrahim 2014). Similar to Shubbola, many of these small towns have become nodes that serve wide hinterlands (Ibrahim and Zulu 2014).…”

“…It has become an important crop and animal market while also providing adjacent smaller villages with social services such as water supply, education and health facilities. In addition, regular cash remittances sent by emigrant family members living in larger cities have funded increases in farm size and commercial agricultural productivity (Ibrahim and Zulu 2014).…”

“…The use of tractors is recent, but it has contributed significantly to the increasing farm size, crop production, and farmer incomes. Average sesame production has nearly quadrupled (371 percent increase) between 1977 and 2010 (Ibrahim and Zulu 2014). The income increase has reduced poverty, graduated many from subsistence to commercial faming and helped to diversify livelihoods to non-agricultural jobs such as trades, livestock marketing, and furniture production (Ibrahim and Zulu 2014).…”

“…Average sesame production has nearly quadrupled (371 percent increase) between 1977 and 2010 (Ibrahim and Zulu 2014). The income increase has reduced poverty, graduated many from subsistence to commercial faming and helped to diversify livelihoods to non-agricultural jobs such as trades, livestock marketing, and furniture production (Ibrahim and Zulu 2014). These changes signify socio-economic transformation, including growing investment in improved housing.…”

“…The smallholder crop and livestock sector contributed 22% to Sudan's gross national income in 2008 (Bank of Sudan 2008).Recent changes have extended beyond agricultural commercialization to consumption patterns, including diet. Cultivation practices have shifted considerably from subsistence to commercial, and sesame cultivation has burgeoned to occupy 90% of farmers' fields(Ibrahim and Zulu 2014). This change was primarily catalyzed by remittances sent by emigrants strategically sent by family members into the cities to access external finances for their families in Shubbola.…”