Promoting Sustainable Extension Approaches: Farmer Field School (FFS) and its role in sustainable agricultural development in Africa

Abstract

This paper discusses the concept of Farmer Field School and its role in a multidisciplinary research agenda for sustainable agriculture in Africa. The FFS as a group learning approach builds knowledge and capacity among farmers to enable them diagnose their problems, identify solutions and develop plans and implement them with or without support from outside. The paper suggests that a multi-disciplinary research agenda that will not only aim at technology development but will also seek ways of stakeholder participation in technology development, validation and dissemination. It concludes that this approach will not only increase agricultural productivity, it will also lead to sustainable agriculture in Africa.


[IJARD Vol.3 2002: 46-53]