Alma Linda C. Morales-Abubakar, Programme Development Officer, FAO Asia Regional IPM/Pesticide Risk Reduction Programme Workshop on FFS and Post-harvest.

Alma Linda C. Morales-Abubakar, Programme Development Officer, FAO Asia Regional IPM/Pesticide Risk Reduction Programme

Workshop on FFS and Post-harvest29 November 2012, Myanmar

Farmer Field Schools: Beyond Agriculture and Rural

Development

2

World population

Source: UN, 2011

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0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

1200019

5019

5519

6019

6519

7019

7519

8019

8519

9019

9520

0020

0520

1020

1520

2020

2520

3020

3520

4020

4520

5020

5520

6020

6520

7020

7520

8020

8520

9020

9521

00

developed Sub-Saharan AfricaNothAfrica and the Middle East Latin America and CaribbSouth Asia Eastern Asiapercentage 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

OoiOoi

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 SchoolsThese 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

ResearchInnovations

g.walter-echols

Facilitator Development Steps

Extension Worker

Non-formalExtensionist

FFSFacilitator

Farmers’ GroupFacilitator

• follows-up field school graduates

• coordinates inter-group activities

• encourages farming community activities

• encourages group learning activities

• uses non-formal training techniques

• teaches farmersTraining

• uses experiential learning methods

• facilitates farmer field experimentation and ecological analysis

• gives holistic education in production management

g.walter-echols

Programme Development Steps

Project-ledFFS

Alumni/PostFFS

AutonomousFFS 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-ledDevelopment

GovernmentPolicies

• 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

ActiveExperimentation

“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 FarmerKASAKALIKASANThe 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