Dr. P . S. Rao Former FAO-UN staff National Workshop on "Farmers’ Field School " February 6-7. 2015 NIPHM, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad.
Dr. P. S. RaoFormer FAO-UN staff
National Workshop on "Farmers’ Field School "
February 6-7. 2015
NIPHM, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad.
Farmer field schools (FFS) are a commonapproach used to transfer specialistknowledge, promote skills and empowerfarmers around the world(Waddington,2014).
FFS are implemented by facilitators usingparticipatory “discovery-based” learningbased on adult education principles.
Emerged out of a concrete and seriouschallenge – high usage of toxic pesticides forpest control in crops – health andenvironment problems
In Indonesia – in 1980’s – offshoot of greenrevolution
Govt sought a massive large scaledecentralised education program forfarmers – to reduce pesticides – but protectincomes and production
Inadequacy of govt. extension systems to make this happen
Demand from large no’s of poor farmers to be part of the program
IPM-FFS designed to address the above in 1989
Holistic view of Elements of agro-eco system (AES)
Impact of Human interventions – enhance or diminish
Large and highly Heterogeneity of the large farm lands
Farmers becoming experts and decision makers
How to enable the numbers
Application of IPM principles in the farms
Master the process to support other farmers to learn and apply
Collaborative activities/experiments by communities to institutionalise the principles
Drawn from adult non-formal education approaches
The FFS approach was designed to address the challenge of ecological heterogeneity and local specificity by placing the control of small-scale agro ecosystems in the hands of the people/farmers who manage them (Pontius et al., 2002).
First wave of FFS in 1989 in the rice fields of Indonesia
200 FFS’s in four districts of Yogyakarta
Indonesian National IPM program
Funded by Govt. of Indonesia, USAID
Technical support by FAO-UN
1800 FFS’s for rice by 1990 as part of upscaling of GoINIPM in 6 provinces
By 1991, pilot FFS’s for rotation crops and spreading to other countries in Asia
From 1991 to 1994, with support from the FAO Inter-country IPM Programme, rice IPM-FFSs reached to Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Lao PDR, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
First Farmer-to-Farmer FFS in Indonesia in 1990 - an initiative of farmers who graduated from the first round of FFS
By 1993, Farmer-to-Farmer FFSs were established in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam.
From 1995 to 1999, the Farmer-to-Farmer Programme took roots in China, Lao PDR, Nepal and Sri Lanka
From 1991 to 1994, with support from the FAO Inter-country IPM Programme, rice IPM-FFSs reached to Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Lao PDR, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
First Farmer-to-Farmer FFS in Indonesia in 1990 - an initiative of farmers who graduated from the first round of FFS
By 1993, Farmer-to-Farmer FFSs were established in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam.
From 1995 to 1999, the Farmer-to-Farmer Programme took roots in China, Lao PDR, Nepal and Sri Lanka
FFSs are now active in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East and North Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe, and in the United States and Western Europe (Denmark)
FFS implemented in a total of 87 to 90 countries reaching 15 to 20 million farmers(A. Braun, 2008)
2012-14; a systematic assessment of 80+ evaluations of various FFS’s carried out
FFS now includes PPM, INM, PCM, Livestock, Water, Climate Variability, etc.
The Field Schools differ from other extension methods with the following characteristics:
FFS are season-long crop and field based experiential learning
based on pre-identified challenge and curriculums
Support each participating farmer to get deeper insights regarding their crop ecosystem through individual assessment
Facilitate farmers in discovering knowledge and the methodology to learn more
Developing capacities in farmer to farmer dissemination of the process/technologies/options.
1. Group of farmers with a common interest
2. The Field – for collaboration and experimentation
3. Trained FFS Facilitators
4. The Curriculum – follows natural cycle of its subject
5. The Program Leader
6. Financing
With a common interest – pesticide reduction, yield improvement, etc.
Could be an established one – Self Help Group, User Commiitee, Rythu Mitra, youth clubs, etc
Mixed – male and female – or separate – depending on culture and tradition
New groups based on the need
Practical and hands on
Field is the teacher – plants, insects, soil particles, etc
NO classroom teaching / lecturing
Community’s own farm/plot
Un-learning of previous knowledge
Change of attitudes to that of facilitators
Skills in participatory learning
Discovery based learning
Technical domain knowledge
Group’s learning and action process
Farmer Facilitators – most effective than outside extension agent
Facilitation skills
Learn to grow crops soiling their hands
Organisation skills
Management skils
Preparing training materials, documentation, etc.
Must follow the natural cycle of the topic – crop / animal / soil etc - Seed to seed or egg to egg
Different aspects of subject goes in sync with what is actually - happening in the farmer field
Relevant technical topics simplified in pictures
All activities based on experiential learning
Action, observation,
analysis and decision making
Direct application of acquired knowledge in their field
Emphasis on ‘How’ and ‘Why’ – innovation and local adaptation
Season long experiments, short term activities
Icebreakers / Energisers / Team building exercises
Special topics – need based – Swach Bharat Abhiyan, HIV/AIDS
Resource Persons from research institutes, etc.
Enabling and overall lead
Support the facilitators
Negotiate challenges in transition to participatory approach
Organise the training materials
Identify resource persons – scientists, govt. staff, social leaders, etc.
Monitoring and evaluation
To support group learning activities – can be low cost or expensive
Training – key recurrent component
In extension – it is transport
Innovative ways to raise local funds – FFS plots?
Initial start-up costs – moderate
Running costs will be much lower
Scaling up costs will be reasonable and much less than traditional extension activity
Innovative ways to raise local funds – FFS plots?
The IPM Field School is field based and lasts for a full cropping season
A crop (rice) FFS meets once a week with a total number of meetings that might range from at least 10 up to 16 meetings.
Each FFS meeting includes at least three activities: the agro-ecosystem analysis, a “special topic”, and a group dynamics activity.
Between 25 and 30 farmers participate in a FFS. Participants learn together in small groups of five to maximise participation. (Pontius, J. et.al., 2002)
The primary learning material at a Farmers Field School is the crop (rice) field.
The Field School meeting place is close to the learning plots often in a farmer’s home and sometimes beneath a convenient tree.
FFS educational methods are experiential, participatory, and learner centred.
In every FFS participants conduct a study comparing IPM with non-IPM treated plots.
An FFS often includes several additional field studies depending on local field problems.
All FFS’s include a Field Day in which farmers make presentations about IPM and the results of their studies.
A pre- and post-test is conducted as part of every Field School for diagnostic purposes and for determining follow-up activities.
The facilitators of FFS’s undergo intensive season long residential training to prepare them for organising and conducting Field Schools.
Preparation meetings precede an FFS to determine needs, recruit participants, and develop a learning contract.
Final meetings of the FFS often include planning for follow-up activities
Users should be encouraged to monitor and manage their own groundwater system
Blending of science and indigenous wisdom is possible
Introduction of simple tools and skills would enable users to manage their groundwater systems
Lasts a full hydrological year
25 and 30 farmer participants
Once every 15/20 days
Primary learning material: HU
& farmer field
Sessions at farmer plots
Small groups of five to
maximize participation
Experiential, and participatory
methods
Hydro-ecosystem analysis, special topic, and group dynamics activity
Compare farmer and experimental plots
Several additional field studies depending on local field problems
Ballot Box Exercise: Pre- and post-test
Field Day: share learning and results of their studies
HU area calculationCrop Water requirement
Hydrologic cycle
Borewell discharge
measurement Pumping wells
In a basin Recharge Rate
Land Use Pattern
Hydrologic Basin
Annual Water Balance