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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
Farmer Field Schools: Beyond
Agriculture and Rural Development
2
World population
Source: UN, 2011
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
120001
95
0
19
55
19
60
19
65
19
70
19
75
19
80
19
85
19
90
19
95
20
00
20
05
20
10
20
15
20
20
20
25
20
30
20
35
20
40
20
45
20
50
20
55
20
60
20
65
20
70
20
75
20
80
20
85
20
90
20
95
21
00
developed Sub-Saharan Africa
NothAfrica and the Middle East Latin America and Caribb
South Asia Eastern Asia
percentage annual growth rate (right scale)
millions
55% of worlds’ total and 70% of world’s agricultural population are in Asia Pacific region
Small Farmers: Producers, Consumers, Managers and Citizens
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. . .
Farmers need to understand issues affecting their livelihood
Farmers need to be able to select technologies
The Green Revolution: de-skilling farmers
BBC
Akshay Mahajan
Farmers as Experts
Ooi Ooi
Ooi
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)
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
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).
Broad objective of FFS
• Brings farmers together
• For collective and collaborative inquiry
• To initiate community action in solving community problems
The FFS is a process; it is not a goal
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
• Invests in tools/materials to be paid back by farmers
• Issuance of contracts to farmers
• Purchase of produce
FARMERS • Enters into contracts with the Company
• Signs commitment to follow standards of organic production
• Participates in training courses
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
THAI ORGANIC FOOD CO.
• Technical backstopping to farmers – inc. ICS
• Pays staff who collects produce and management fees
• Maintains production records
• Self-monitoring
• Harvesting timely
• Ensures security in the fields and processing area
ACT THAILAND
• Carries out inspection to assure compliance with organic production standards
• Issues organic certification
Enhancing Agricultural Competitiveness of Smallholder Farmers: Organic Chilli Production in Cambodia
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
Baseline surveys (inventory and
flow of pesticides in the
communities as well as health and
environment related information)
Training activities for local leaders,
pesticide sellers, health workers
and farmers
Community action: Closure
of pesticide shops that do
not conform to local
pesticide policies (e.g.
selling banned pesticides)
Community action:
Posters on pesticide risk
reduction have been
developed and displayed
in public places
Community action:
Cement tanks have been
established by the local
government for disposal of
pesticide containers
Developing core groups
IPM FFS alumni who
can coach other farmers
in the community
particularly on improved
production practices
and alternative pest
management strategies
Example: Pilot activity on
producing potato seed
tubers on rice straw using
minimum tillage and
reduce pesticides in
potato seed production
Community action:
Development of local
policies on pesticide
management
Community Education Programmes on Pesticide Risk Reduction
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
Farmer Development Steps
Dependent
Farmer
Group
Farmer
FFS
Farmer
Interdependent
Farmer •solves his problems
wherever possible
•actively generates,
adapts and extends
innovations
•links well with other
farmers •learns to observe,
analyze and decide
•experiments with
new ideas
•learns from own
experience •exchanges views
and experience
•participates in
group activities
•follows instruction
•adopts technologies
Research
Innovations
g.walter-echols
Facilitator Development Steps
Extension
Worker
Non-formal
Extensionist
FFS
Facilitator
Farmers’ Group
Facilitator •follows-up field
school graduates
•coordinates inter-
group activities
•encourages
farming community
activities
•encourages group
learning activities
•uses non-formal
training techniques
•teaches farmers Training
•uses experiential
learning methods
•facilitates farmer field
experimentation and
ecological analysis
•gives holistic
education in
production
management
g.walter-echols
Programme Development Steps
Project-led
FFS
Alumni/Post
FFS
Autonomous
FFS Networks
• community
development
activities
• inter-group activities
and networking
• self-promoting
movement (scaling-up phase )
• self-financed,
autonomous groups
• continuous, planned
knowledge
generation
• farming systems
approach
•tools testing
•quality system
Farmer-led
Development
Government
Policies
• regular, continuing
group meetings
• cropping approach
• water management
• exchanges among
members
g.walter-echols
India
Bhutan
Pakistan
FFS Programmes in 90 countries
FAO-IPM Asian Member Countries
For more information about the FAO Asia Regional IPM/PRR Programme
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.vegetableipmasia.org
Farmer Field School: Empowering farmers and communities through
knowledge
Concrete Experience
Observation and Reflection
Generalisation & Abstract
Conceptualisation
Active Experimentation
“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
Testimony of an IPM Farmer
KASAKALIKASAN The Philippine National IPM Programme
For more information about the FAO Asia Regional IPM/PRR Programme
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.vegetableipmasia.org
http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/rap/publications/pub-rap-
results/en/?divisionID=61&categoryID=308&subject=ruralinf
http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/rap/publications/pub-rap-
results/en/?divisionID=61&categoryID=308&subject=ruralinf
