1 / 27

Farmer Field Schools: Beyond Agriculture and Rural Development

Farmer Field Schools: Beyond Agriculture and Rural Development . Alma Linda C. Morales-Abubakar, Programme Development Officer, FAO Asia Regional IPM/Pesticide Risk Reduction Programme Workshop on FFS and Post-harvest 29 November 2012, Myanmar. World population.

glenys
Download Presentation

Farmer Field Schools: Beyond Agriculture and Rural Development

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Farmer Field Schools: Beyond Agriculture and Rural Development Alma Linda C. Morales-Abubakar, Programme Development Officer, FAO Asia Regional IPM/Pesticide Risk Reduction ProgrammeWorkshop on FFS and Post-harvest29 November 2012, Myanmar

  2. World population • 55% of worlds’ total and 70% of world’s agricultural population are in Asia Pacific region Source: UN, 2011

  3. Small Farmers: Producers, Consumers, Managers and Citizens

  4. Farmers need to understand issues affecting their livelihood Crackdown in Siem Reap WRITTEN BY VINCENT MACISAAC Asia Sentinel,Monday, 27 April 2009 THE RULE OF LAW GOES BY THE BOARD FOR CAMBODIA'S LAND SHARKS . . . The Siem Reap farmers are the victims of both land grabbing and state-sanctioned violence, human rights groups say. At the root of the incident is a five-year dispute that escalated last December when two community leaders and one journalist were arrested following a court complaint from two businessmen who the farmers allege illegally obtained and then resold titles to 92 hectares of land they had been farming since, in some cases, 1982. . .

  5. Farmers need to be able to select technologies

  6. The Green Revolution: de-skilling farmers AkshayMahajan BBC

  7. Farmers as Experts Ooi Ooi Ooi

  8. Where did FFS come from? • 1989: first FFS established in central Java as a response to a crisis situation of BPH outbreaks • Since then, FFS have been carried out in other crops and various settings in many other countries in Asia, Africa, Near East and Latin America (currently 90 countries)

  9. Innovation in Farmer Field Schools These skills can be extended to: Sustainable crop intensification Agro-biodiversity: genetic resource management Managing water, soils and fertility, crop nutrition, SRI Conservation agriculture Fisheries and animal husbandry Health, nutrition, child care Climate Smart Agriculture Post harvest Farmer Life Schools Farmer Water Schools

  10. Farmer Field Schools FFS are particularly suited for learning complex management skills, like natural resource management, diversifying production and accessing markets to increase rural incomes (Swanson and Rajalahti, 2010).

  11. Broad objective of FFS The FFS is a process; it is not a goal • Brings farmers together • For collective and collaborative inquiry • To initiate community action in solving community problems

  12. Specific objectives of FFS • Empower farmers with knowledge and skills to make them experts in their own fields • Sharpen farmers’ ability to make critical and informed decisions that render their farming profitable and sustainable • Sensitize farmers into new ways of thinking and problem solving • Help farmers learn how to organize themselves and their communities

  13. THAI ORGANIC FOOD CO. • Technical backstopping to farmers – inc. ICS • Pays staff who collects produce and management fees • FARMERS • Enters into contracts with the Company • Signs commitment to follow standards of organic production • Participates in training courses • Maintains production records • Self-monitoring • Harvesting timely • Ensures security in the fields and processing area • Invests in tools/materials to be paid back by farmers • Issuance of contracts to farmers • Purchase of produce Enhancing Agricultural Competitiveness of Smallholder Farmers: Organic Chilli Production in Cambodia • PDA • Organizes farmers into Farmers’ Groups • Conducts training courses for farmers (inc. data collection for production planning, organic production, marketing, etc.) • Works with farmers in mapping each field as reference for management and technical support • Provides guidance on complying with production standards • Keeps/distributes inputs • NIPM • Conducts training courses for farmers (inc. data collection for production planning, organic production, marketing, group and financial management, etc.) • Prepares materials and documents required organic production • Technical backstopping to farmers – inc. ICS • ACT THAILAND • Carries out inspection to assure compliance with organic production standards • Issues organic certification

  14. Developing core groups IPM FFS alumni who can coach other farmers in the community particularly on improved production practices and alternative pest management strategies Community action: Closure of pesticide shops that do not conform to local pesticide policies (e.g. selling banned pesticides) Training activities for local leaders, pesticide sellers, health workers and farmers Example: Pilot activity on producing potato seed tubers on rice straw using minimum tillage and reduce pesticides in potato seed production Community action: Cement tanks have been established by the local government for disposal of pesticide containers Community action: Posters on pesticide risk reduction have been developed and displayed in public places Baseline surveys (inventory and flow of pesticides in the communities as well as health and environment related information) Community action: Development of local policies on pesticide management Community Education Programmes on Pesticide Risk Reduction

  15. Factors for Success of FFS Programmes • a strong scientific/technical entry point • a learner-centered approach to educating • stakeholders • a common vision • a “Champion” (or Champions) • a supportive environment • a coordination system and clear roles among a wide • – and expanding – composition of stakeholders/ • institutions

  16. Farmer Development Steps Interdependent Farmer • solves his problems wherever possible • actively generates, adapts and extends innovations • links well with other farmers FFS Farmer • learns to observe, analyze and decide • experiments with new ideas • learns from own experience Group Farmer • exchanges views and experience • participates in group activities Dependent Farmer Research Innovations • follows instruction • adopts technologies g.walter-echols

  17. Facilitator Development Steps Farmers’ Group Facilitator • follows-up field school graduates • coordinates inter-group activities • encourages farming community activities FFS Facilitator • uses experiential learning methods • facilitates farmer field experimentation and ecological analysis • gives holistic education in production management Non-formal Extensionist • encourages group learning activities • uses non-formal training techniques Extension Worker Training • teaches farmers g.walter-echols

  18. Programme Development Steps Farmer-led Development • community development activities • inter-group activities and networking • self-promoting movement Autonomous FFS Networks • (scaling-up phase ) • self-financed, autonomous groups • continuous, planned knowledge generation • farming systems approach Alumni/Post FFS • regular, continuing group meetings • cropping approach • water management • exchanges among members Project-led FFS Government Policies • tools testing • quality system g.walter-echols

  19. FAO-IPM Asian Member Countries Pakistan Bhutan India FFS Programmes in 90 countries

  20. For more information about the FAO Asia Regional IPM/PRR Programme Email: vegetable-IPM@fao.org Website: http://www.vegetableipmasia.org

  21. Concrete Experience Active Experimentation Observation and Reflection Generalisation & Abstract Conceptualisation Farmer Field School: Empowering farmers and communities through knowledge

  22. “Before IPM field schools we planted our rice and prayed that we might have a good harvest. Now we know that we can actually control many of the factors which influence our harvests.”IPM farmer from Thai Binh province, Viet Nam

  23. Testimony of an IPM Farmer KASAKALIKASANThe Philippine National IPM Programme

  24. For more information about the FAO Asia Regional IPM/PRR Programme Email: vegetable-IPM@fao.org Website: http://www.vegetableipmasia.org

  25. http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/rap/publications/pub-rap-results/en/?divisionID=61&categoryID=308&subject=ruralinfhttp://www.fao.org/asiapacific/rap/publications/pub-rap-results/en/?divisionID=61&categoryID=308&subject=ruralinf

  26. http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/rap/publications/pub-rap-results/en/?divisionID=61&categoryID=308&subject=ruralinfhttp://www.fao.org/asiapacific/rap/publications/pub-rap-results/en/?divisionID=61&categoryID=308&subject=ruralinf

More Related