Decentralisation and participation ought to gain momentum when promoted at the same time.
Yet, the cause and effects of the interdependence between decentralization and participation is
highly debated. Obviously, decentralization does not take place in an institutional vacuum. It
happens in an institutional environment that either enables or hinders political participation
(Geppert et al. 2002). While there is a considerable body of literature on (1) rural
decentralization, (2) farmers’ participation and (3) enabling institutions, studies that embrace
these three fields are rather scarce. Furthermore, the causes and effects of these single
dimensions are often intermingled. Hence, as pointed out by Smoke (2003) they are integrated
and must be considered together. The fundamental question is whether it is possible to design
a top down decentralization process that allows participation to become reality in a way that it
actually impacts rural institutions, or if the problem lies in the political economy inherent
already in the motivation for the decentralization reform? Thus, we will particularly take into
account the objective of government to decentralize.