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Inventory of Farmer Study Group Initiatives in Africa – A Synthesis Report Arnoud R. Braun MCP Multipurpose Consultancy MF Master farmer MoA Ministry of Agriculture MoE Ministry of Education MoH Ministry of Home Affairs MPC Multipurpose Consultancy NARES National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems NGO Non governmental organisation NORAD Norwegian development co-operation NRM Natural Resource management NTPISSFM New approaches for technology, Policy and Institutions for Attaining Sustainable Improvements in Soil fertility Management in drought prone areas of Zimbabwe ORAP Organisation for Rural Associations in Progress PAN Pesticide Action Network RF Rockefeller Foundation PI Plan International PLA People living with HIV and AIDS PLWA People living with AIDS PPD Plant Protection Department PROFEIS Promotion de l’experimentation et l’innovation paysannes au Sahel PROFIEET Promoting Farmer Innovation and Experimentation in Ethiopia PROLINNOVA PROmoting Local INNOVAtion in ecologically-oriented agriculture and Natural Resource Management PRONAF Projet Niébé pour l’Afrique R&D Research and Development RRD Resource Centre for Rural Development SAAZ Semi Arid Areas of Zimbabwe SACCO Savings and Credit Cooperatives SCC Swedish Cooperative Center SC-UK Save the Children – United Kingdom SDC Switzerland’s agency for Development and Co-operation SIDA Swedish International Development cooperation STCP Sustainable Tree Crop Program ToT Training of Trainers UNDP United Nations Development Programme USA United States of America USAID United States Agency for International Development WB World Bank WFP World Food Programme vi
Inventory of Farmer Study Group Initiatives in Africa – A Synthesis Report Arnoud R. Braun 1. INTRODUCTION Among African countries 1 there is currently a strong focus on developing more effective and efficient agricultural extension services, moving gradually from top-down extension approaches, where the farmer is considered a recipient of technologies derived from National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) to more participatory approaches that are farmer-driven or farmer-centred, where the farmer is involved in setting the research and extension agenda – empowering the farmer in decision-making. The principles, extent of farmer involvement, learning methodologies differ from approach to approach and from country to country. In this inventory the focus is on Farmer Study Groups. Group study approaches building on the study circle concept have had enormous impact in other regions of the world, such as Europe and USA, and currently there are also emerging initiatives in Africa that provide valuable lessons and experiences for how farmer-driven study groups can contribute to effective demand-driven extension in Africa. Study groups provide an opportunity for people to learn together, to strengthen their opportunities for influencing their own situation in life, and to fill gaps of knowledge and information in society. By managing processes themselves, participants practice democracy and systems of shared power in which they come to conclusions or make decisions by talking, listening and understanding. In view of scaling-up study group initiatives in Sub-Saharan African counties, the Resource Centre fro Rural Development (RRD) of SIDA, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC) plan to facilitate a sharing of experiences among study group initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa, including a regional workshop for practitioners and policy makers. This inventory of farmer study group initiatives has been carried out in preparation for these activities as a step in identifying potential stakeholders and develop key issues that can be elaborated further in upcoming activities. Some initiatives that use farmer-driven study groups as an entry point for agricultural development and empowerment are Study Circles, Farmer Field Schools (FFS) 2 , Farmer to Farmer (FTF) Training, Master Farmer Training (MFT) and Local Learning Groups. These among other initiatives identified have been covered by this study. For the purpose of this study characteristics of Farmer Study Groups (FSG) have been defined as follows: • Groups of farmers (10-30 persons). • The group meets regularly over a longer period of time. 1 In the context of this study reference is made to Sub-Saharan Africa; whenever Africa is mentioned in this document, reference is made to the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. 2 Also including Farmer Field and Life Schools (FFLS) and Junior Farmer Filed and Life Schools (JFFLS). 1
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