Impacts of farmer field schools in the human, social, natural and financial domain: a qualitative review

Abstract

The Farmer Field School (FFS) is a widely used method seeking to educate farmers to adapt agricultural decisions to diverse and variable field conditions. Out of 218 screened studies, 65 were selected to review the impact of the FFS. An analytical framework was developed with effects (outputs, outcomes and impacts) arranged according to the human, social, natural and financial domains. Impacts on non-participants of the FFS were addressed as peripheral effects. The FFS demonstrated its potential to enhance human, social, natural and financial capital of rural communities. Human capital was built in the form of critical thinking, innovation, confidence, and quality of life. Effects on social capital included mutual trust, bonding, collective action, networking, and emancipation. Natural capital was enhanced through improvements in field practices, food production, agricultural diversification, and food security. Financial capital was enhanced through increased income and profits, savings and loans schemes, with a potential to reduce poverty. The available body of evidence was unbalanced across the capital domains, providing high coverage of the natural domain but low coverage of the human, social and financial domains. In-depth case studies are needed to elucidate the interactions between livelihood assets, and the influences of the policy, institutional and external environment, in order to adjust FFS interventions aiming to optimize their impacts. Considering the positive effects the FFS can have on rural livelihoods, the FFS has potential to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. However, quality assurance of the FFS and a balanced evaluation across the capital domains require attention.

Assessment of the growth in social groups for sustainable agriculture and land management

“…We selected terms for searches drawn from our knowledge of programmes in the field: social + capital; sustainable + agriculture; sustainable + intensification; joint/participatory + forest + management; agroforestry + groups; integrated + pest + management; farmer + field + schools; watershed + management; conservation + agriculture; irrigation + management; water + user + groups; pasture/grazing + management; microcredit/microfinance + groups; innovation + platforms; participatory + methods/approaches; farmer + organisations/institutions. A number of international analyses were drawn upon (e.g., of farmer fields schools: FAO, 2019; van den Berg et al , 2020b; of community forestry: FAO, 2016b).…”

“…Farm incomes have improved whilst water use has fallen by 15-20% (Zhang et al, 2013;Zhou et al, 2017). WUAs have become the primary vehicle for local water management in Mexico, where 2.0 Mha of the 3.2 Mha of government-managed systems have been transformed by WUAs; half of the systems in Turkey have been turned over to local groups, increasing cropping intensity and yields by 53% (Groenfeldt, 2000;Uysal & Atış, 2010). In India, WUAs cover 15 Mha, but still only 12% of the irrigated area, even though they lead to increases in area under irrigation, greater equity (improved benefits for tail-enders) and greater recovery of water charges (a measure of improved yields) (Sinha, 2004).…”

“…Positive role of women leaders in group effectiveness and conflict resolution over common resources (Coleman & Mwangi, 2013). Changes in the worldviews of farmers (Campbell et al , 2017; van den Berg et al , 2020b) and of scientists and extensionists working with farmers in novel innovation platforms (Zhang et al , 2016). Increases in the savings and repayment rates of members of microfinance groups (BRAC, 2019; Rahman, 2019).…”

“…Changes in the worldviews of farmers (Campbell et al , 2017; van den Berg et al , 2020b) and of scientists and extensionists working with farmers in novel innovation platforms (Zhang et al , 2016).…”

“…There are 1.045 million FFS and IPM groups covering 25 Mha (FAO, 2016a, 2019; van den Berg et al , 2020a, 2020b). Notable country leads include Indonesia, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Sri Lanka, China and Vietnam.…”