Developments and Innovations in Farmer Field Schools and the Training of Trainers

Abstract

Since Farmer Field Schools (FFS) were first originated in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 1989, many innovations have occurred and changes to the basic theme have been developed. FFS started out as a way to facilitate learning of integrated pest management (IPM) concepts and techniques by Indonesian farmers. The Indonesian National IPM Program first applied the FFS approach on a broad scale for rice farmers, and technical assistance provided by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) among others were key to the success of this program. FFS were subsequently adapted for other crops such as legumes, fruits, vegetables, and tuber crops, and other technical and social themes such as integrated crop management, community forestry, livestock, water conservation, HIV/AIDS, literacy, advocacy and democracy (CIP-UPWARD 2003).Central to the success of FFS programs is appropriate IPM and methodological training of the people who organize and facilitate the field schools. To be a successful FFS trainer/facilitator, one must have skills in managing participatory, discovery-based learning as well as technical knowledge of agro-ecology to guide the group's learning and action process. Without an adequate Training of Trainers (ToT) program, the subsequent FFS program will fall far short of its potential.This chapter focuses on a range of developments and innovations in FFS in recent years, with particular attention to IPM FFS and ToT. Promising innovations and new directions in other types of FFS will also be highlighted. The Farmer Field School ProcessIPM FFS are first initiated by introductory meetings with a community to determine if it is interested in establishing a FFS. Usually, a FFS concentrates on a particular crop in order to focus learning and deepen understanding of principles (e.g., on insect ecology, soil fertility, and production economics) that subsequently can be applied to other crops and the farm production system. If the community indeed decides to implement a FFS, the group establishes selection criteria and identifies a group of 15-30 participants. The facilitator and participants draw up a "learning contract" or "moral contract" that includes the commitments of both the facilitator and the group regarding attendance, materials, the management of resources, the investment of the FFS harvest, and other key issues. Ideally, the farmers contribute the majority of labor and crop input resources, with the facilitator contributing his or her time, transportation costs, and the basic learning materials needed for the FFS.

An Analysis of the Effectiveness Farmer Field School (FFS) Approach in Sustainable Rural Livelihood (SRL): The Experience of Punjab-Pakistan

“…FFS is a participatory approach of knowledge is used for the dissemination of knowledge. The farmer field school (FFS) approach that promotes group learning optimally from field observation and experimentation based on principles of adult education and training to farmers is seen as the single approach of agriculture extension that can meet these goals [72]. FFS is also use in the education which uses practical knowledge approaches to build farmers' proficiency [20].…”

Farmer Field Schools on Chili Peppers in Aceh, Indonesia: Activities and Impacts

“…It was believed then that FFS was a more effective method to extend science-based knowledge and practices than alternatives such as training and visit (Feder et al 2004). FFS uses a participatory approach to assist farmers to develop their capabilities in analytical skills, critical thinking, and creativity so that farmers can make better decisions (Luther et al 2005). In short, the objective of FFS is to enhance human resource development, in which farmers become experts in their fields.…”

“…FFS utilize a participatory learning process, which lasts the entire length of the season for annual crops and a variable length of time for perennial crops. In many of the farming sector training activities in Indonesia, a FFS approach has been adapted locally (Luther et al 2005;Pontius et al 2002), and relevant adaptations were also made in Aceh under the project described in this article. In this project, FFS were adapted to emphasize soil remediation techniques due to tsunami effects, but other integrated crop management (ICM) technologies were also included, such as IPM.…”

Self-Organization and the Bypass: Re-Imagining Institutions for More Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Food

“…Interest in the empowerment of farmers as well as the greening of technologies led to the introduction of Farmer Field Schools (FFS)-a group learning, knowledge-based approach that the FAO in Southeast Asia originally developed for Integrated Pest Management in rice [72]. For CIP and its partners in the Andes, the approach was radical in that FFS sought a departure from science-based technology development to the promotion of "ecological literacy" (i.e., fundamental biological knowledge of crop-soil and crop-pest relationships and the ability to "read" the environment) and farmer-led experimentation.…”

“…In 1998, a group of scientists at CIP and INIAP teamed up with the FAO's Global IPM Facility to develop FFS (in Spanish, Escuelas de Campo de Agricultores or ECAs) in Integrated Pest Management for the potato, demanding substantial changes in research agenda setting, process design, and facilitation as well as evaluation [72]. Following the implementation of over 125 FFS in Ecuador, independent ex-post studies found that the approach deepened and broadened biological and ecological knowledge in rural families in ways that unlocked creativities and new subjectivities [73].…”