[pstuart]

You're spot on with your assessment, the only thing I'd change is that the centralized management does more than funding -- it provides a library of possible projects with expert assistance as needed. Locals still get control and ownership of their efforts but they have help when they want it.

[theptip]

Indeed. Given the starting point, and the major shift in world-view required to do this kind of thing, I think of that library as a "phase 2" kind of thing. First get a few successful projects under our belt, then think about how we can add more leverage.

But I strongly agree that the end point to envision is the center acting as a library/facilitator to share knowledge between different groups, rather than The Source of Truth in itself.

Local farmers that succeed in these sort of programs would likely be happy to go share ideas and experiences with other farmers, and the government can certainly provide funding and logistical support to facilitate these small-scale collaborations.

And it's certainly the case that there are some scientific advances that farmers aren't aware of, that "the center" can help to introduce; things like sensors, democratized GM technology, and so on, could all be developed centrally and made available to the periphery. Farmers tend to be quick to adopt new tools and practices that actually help them.

[smaudet]

"The Source of Truth" - what harmful notion. Truth simply is, there is no source. Speak for Source of Lies.

Never trust any centralized agency - even if it did honestly represent what was true at some point it cannot hope to be what is true.