Using survey-data from Peru, this paper evaluates the impact of a pilot farmerfield-school (FFS) program on farmers' knowledge of integrated pest management (IPM) practices related to potato cultivation. We use both regression analysis controlling for participation and a propensity score matching approach to create a comparison group similar to the FFS participants in observable characteristics. Results are robust across the two approaches as well as with different matching methods. We find that farmers who participate in the program have significantly more knowledge about IPM practices than those in the non-participant comparison group. We also find that improved knowledge about IPM practices has a significant impact on productivity in potato production. † U.S. General Accounting Office, godtlande@gao.gov.
This paper evaluates the impact of farmer field schools, an intensive participatory training program emphasizing integrated pest management. The evaluation focuses on whether program participation has improved yields and reduced pesticide use among graduates and their neighbors who may have gained knowledge from graduates through informal communications. The study utilizes panel data covering 1991-99 in Indonesia. The analysis, employing a modified "difference-in-differences" model, indicates that the program did not have significant impacts on the performance of graduates and their neighbors. Several plausible explanations for this outcome are discussed, and recommendations for improvements are suggested.A gricultural extension and farmer-education programs are key policy instruments for governments seeking to improve the productivity of agriculture while protecting the environment. Correspondingly, there is great interest in the impact of such public investments and in their financial viability. The experience of extension systems over the past few decades has been mixed. Some studies estimate high rates of return to the investment in extension (Birkhaeuser, Evenson, and Feder), or to farmer education (Jamison and Lau; Lockheed, Jamison, and Lau). Yet, many observers document poor performance in the operation of extension and informal education systems, due to bureaucratic inefficiency, deficient program design, and some generic weaknesses inherent in publicly operated, staff-intensive, information delivery systems (Feder, Willett, and Zijp). One deficiency highlighted by researchers and practitioners is the tendency of many public officers dealing with the transmission of knowledge to conduct their assignment in a "top-down" manner. Often, the information conveyed is presented
Farmer Field Schools (FFS) are an intensive training approach introduced in the last decade in many developing countries to promote knowledge and uptake of ecologically sensible production approaches, and in particular, integrated pest management which minimises pesticide use. Because of the high training cost, the viability of the program depends crucially on the effectiveness of knowledge diffusion from trained farmers to other farmers. This paper uses panel data from Indonesia to assess the extent of diffusion of knowledge regarding integrated pest management from trained farmers to other farmers. The results confirm that better knowledge leads indeed to reduced pesticide use, and that trained farmers make a modest gain in knowledge. However, there is no significant diffusion of knowledge to other farmers who reside in the same villages as the trained farmers. These results imply that revision in the training procedures and curriculum need to be considered if the FFS approach is to become viable and effective.
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