Farmer Education
Participatory processes – Key to learning
Promotion of sustainable agriculture requires generation and adoption of eco-friendly technologies suitable to the local agro ecological system. Working together with farmers is of paramount importance in the process of developing ecologically appropriate farming systems. By practicing eco-friendly alternatives, they get better yields, with reduced costs of cultivation, thereby better net incomes.
AME Foundation’s primary focus is Human Resource Development – building farmers abilities and confidence in dealing with their own situations better – through season long farmer led learning processes. Farmers are first organised into eco farmer groups in clusters of villages placing focus on women and youth. Initially, through Participatory Rural Appraisals, does needs assessment, identifies gaps and areas for intervention. It guides farmers to choose farming alternatives which are simple and doable.
AME is considered a pioneer in promoting participatory learning processes like (1) Participatory Technology Development (PTD- farmer is involved in problem identification, assessment of options/solutions and adoption) – one of the established methods for ensuring effective people’s participation in developing technologies. and (2) Farmer Field Schools which facilitates group learning where every field practice is learnt by doing with visible results on a small experimental plot.
Participatory Technology Development (PTD)
In the context of improving farming systems, technology development is a never-ending process. No technology will ever be permanent. In such a situation, the farming communities should be change oriented. It is therefore of prime importance to strengthen their innovative spirit and build up the capacity to continue innovating.
PTD is a process of purposeful and creative interaction between local farming groups and the change agency for generating acceptable and affordable technologies. It is a process of building up farmers capacity to identify, innovate, test and evaluate the intended technologies enabling them to find a solution for their perceived problems.
PTD, as a process, is a learning experience for both farmers and the change agency. For farmers, it helps in solving their farm related problems, expands their horizon of knowledge by providing various options to the problem, strengthens their inquiring tendency and builds up their capacities to experiment. On the other hand, for the change agency, PTD helps in getting a deeper understanding of the farmers’ status, their farming situations and priorities, and creates a favourable situation for introducing its ideas on the field.
Farmer Field Schools (FFS)
AMEF builds farmers’ abilities and self-confidence through season long participatory and farmer led experiential learning processes, eg., Farmer Field Schools. An FFS is a capacity building method based on adult education principles using groups of farmers. It is best described as a ‘school without walls’, where farmers learn through observation and experimentation in their own fields. They understand the ‘theory behind the practice’, assess the results for adoption and then scale up their learnings. It aims to increase the capacity of farmers to test new technologies in their own fields and assess results and their relevance to particular circumstances. The approach empowers farmers using experiential and participatory learning techniques rather than advising farmers what to do. Farmers are encouraged to handle their own on-farm decisions in which they apply previous experiences and test new technologies.