Farmer to farmer extension

WELCOME

FARMER TO FARMER EXTENSION (F2F)

Speaker

Sipai Salman A.

(Rg. No: 04-2661-2015)

Farmer Led Extension/Farmer to Farmer Extension

• F2F extension is defined here as “the provision of training by farmers to farmers, often through the creation of a structure of farmer promoters and farmer trainers” (Scarborough et al., 1997).

• We use ‘farmer-trainer’ as a generic term, even though we recognize that different names (e.g. lead farmer, farmer-promoter, community knowledge worker) may imply different roles.

• F2F extension programs date back at least to the 1950s .Currently such programs are widespread.

Criteria used for selection of lead farmers

Farming expertise/hard working/can be a role model Literacy : able to read and write Residence in the community Able to communicate Good behavior, trustworthy, acceptable to community Reachable/available Trainable/teachable Good track record (has not defaulted on loans in past, no criminal record) Innovative

Philosophy and principles

Farmers and local institutions (e.g. producer organisations or village leaders) should play a key role in selecting farmer-trainers and monitoring and evaluating them. This helps make the programmes more accountable to the community or groups that they serve.

Farmer-trainers are ‘of the community’; they communicate in local languages and are more sensitive to local cultures, mannerisms, farming practices, and farmers’ needs.

Farmer-trainers should be selected on the basis of their skills and interest in sharing information, not just on their farming expertise.

Farmer-trainers need strong linkages with and support from development agents (whether government, non-government organisation (NGO), or private), the people who train and backstop them. Farmer-trainers generally serve as a complement to existing extension systems, rather than being a substitute for them.

Facilitating organisations and local institutions need to be proactive in ensuring that women as well as men become farmer-trainers.

Simple and appropriate reference materials should be made available to the farmer-trainers.

Farmer Field School

What are Farmer Field Schools?• Farmer Field Schools (FFS) consist of groups of farmers who get together to study a particular topic.

• The topics covered vary from conservation agriculture, organic agriculture, animal husbandry, and soil husbandry, to income generating activities such as handicrafts.

• FFS provide opportunities for learning by doing. It teaches basic agricultural and management skills that make farmers experts in their own farms.

• FFS is a forum where farmers and trainers debate observations, experiences and present new information from outside the community.

Thus,• FFS creates awareness, supports learning, transfer

technology and assist rural communities in problem solving.

Historical Background of FFS• First wave of FFS in 1989 in the rice fields of Indonesia• 200 FFS’s in four districts of Yogyakarta• Indonesian National IPM programme• Funded by Govt. of Indonesia, USAID• Technical support by FAO-UN• 1800 FFS’s for rice by 1990 as part of upscaling of GoIN IPM

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, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Basic conceptsIf I listen, I may forget ;

If I see, I may remember ;If I do, I may remember ;

If I discover, I may own it ;If practice, I may perfect ;

In FFS, one can see, do, discover & practice.

Hence, an extension officers should know more about this method to be efficient in his professional work

Essential Elements of FFS

The group The Field The Facilitator The curriculum Programme leader Financing

• The goal of FFS is mobilization, sensitization and empowerment of rural farming communities

• In small groups (20 – 30 people) they identify their production gaps, test for themselves best on – farm options and practices which are adaptable and sustainable to their farming situation

Goal/Objective of FFS

All learning is field based & it is primary venue for learning

FFS is group learning constantly over the experimentation period

FFS learning promotes healthy decisions & quality decisions

Farmers conduct their own field studies with comparisons or treatments

Learning continue until a full crop season

Special features of FFS

Facilitates Farmer-to-Farmer communication

Field staff serve as facilitators Farmer Field Schools is a unique way to educate farmers It is an effective platform for sharing of experiences and collectively solving

agriculture related problems. Since 1989 more than two million farmers across Asia have participated in this

type of learning.

• “Farm schools are established in the fields of such innovative farmers or farmer achievers who are actually enhancing productivity and profitability in their farms through scientific and sustainable agriculture”.

FARM SCHOOL

FARM SCHOOL IS A…• Farm School is powerful instrument for participatory research and

knowledge management. • It is an alternative extension tool and facilitate farmer-to-farmer

learning. • It also reduces the widening gap between scientific know-how and

farmers practices.• This would facilitate development of farming situation / system specific

packages. • The host achiever farmer is designated as Farmer Scientist / Farmer

Professor in the respective crops / enterprises considering his area of expertise

THANKYOU

Farmer to farmer extension

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