Participatory Technology Development Presentation by Willem van Weperen

Participatory Technology Development Presentation by Willem van Weperen Agriculture and Livelihood consultant willem. van. weperen@gmail. com

Objective of the PTD To. T training After completing the TOT training participants should 1. Have knowledge about 6 PTD steps & LEISA and be able to explain their main characteristics; 2. Be able to assess agriculture extension systems, enumerate advantages/disadvantages of PTD and skills required for its implementation; 3. Have knowledge of tools used in the first 3 PTD steps and be able to apply them; 4. Be able to analyze and prioritize agriculture development problems and identify possible solutions; 5. Design farmer relevant experiments to test promising technologies. 1

Origin of PTD In the 1970 s and 1980 s a number of participatory approaches, concepts and techniques became popular: Farming systems research and extension: adding socialeconomic to organisations previously dominated by biological and chemical scientists. FSR/E also promoted the idea of 'on-farm' trials; Appropriate technology: importance of matching the design of technology to the resources and culture of the user; Indigenous technical knowledge: recognition of local expertise and traditional wisdom; Participatory rural appraisal: techniques promoting the involvement of rural people in decision-making. 2

PTD from linear approach to joint learning 3

PTD steps (1) 1. Getting started (relationship & confidence building) 2. Looking for things to try Questions to answer: Problems (what, where, how and why)? What knowledge exists about the problem(s)? What are the acceptable solution(s)? What are the priorities? What action do concerned plan to take? 4

PTD steps (2) Are the technologies the most appropriate and cost effective, are they simple and will they yield meaningful results? Who will benefit? Where have they been tried before and what were the results? Is knowledge on the technologies available, and who has it (indigenous & formal knowledge)? Which farmers are willing to try them and do they have enough resources? Output of this step: (1)What is to be tried (technologies), (2) Who will do/support it (3)When and for how long (duration) (4) expected benefits 3. Designing experiments 5

PTD steps (3) 4. Trying things out (selection of experimenters, study tour, training, setting up experiments) Sharing the results 6. Sustaining the process 5. (Networking, radio programmes, field-days, farmer - farmer visits) 6

PTD process 1

Important PTD principles (1) Community makes decisions, facilitation role of outsider Strengthening capacities of local communities Learning by doing Using technology in broadest sense (including social organisation!) Use of knowledge of communities; integration of local knowledge with outside knowledge Participation for collective decision making and empowerment Covering the whole development proces 8

Important PTD principles (2) Looking for sustainability Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA) Multiple perspectives Sharing experiences Context specific Action oriented Strenghtening local capacities 9

PTD & Farmer Field school approach 10

Basic principles of Farmer Field school What is relevant and meaningful is decided by the learner and must be discovered by the learner Learning flourishes when teaching is seen as a facilitating process that assists people to explore and discover Learning is a consequence of experience (“learning by doing”). The field is the best learning site Cooperative approaches are enabling. They can strengthen learning (social learning, farmer-to-farmer learning) and as people invest in collaborative group approaches, they develop a better sense of their own worth Learning is an evolutionary process and is characterized by free and open communications, confrontation, acceptance, respect and the right to make mistakes Each person’s experience of reality is unique. As they become more aware of how they learn and solve problems, they can refine and 11 modify their own styles of learning and action

PTD References (1) Developing technologies with farmers. A trainers guide for participatory learning. Veldhuizen et al. Zed books Ltd, London. Joining Farmers’ experiments. Experiences in Participatory Technology Development. Haverkort et al (eds). IT Publications, 103/105 Southhampton Row, London WC 1 B 4 HH, U. K. Linking with farmers. Networking for LEISA. Alders et al (eds). IT Publications, 103/105 Southhampton Row, London WC 1 B 4 HH, U. K. 12

References (2) Two ears of corn. A guide to People-Centered Agricultural Improvement. Roland Bunch, Worldneighbours, 4127 N. W. 122 Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120 -8869, U. S. A. IIRR (1996). Recording and Using Indigenous Knowledge: A manual, pp 7 -22, IIRR, Silang, Philippines Creative Training. A users guide. VSO, Quezon City, Philippines 13

Websites and videos www. prolinnova. net www. agriculturesnetwork. org/ www. itdg. org www. practicalaction. org VTS_01_1. VOB Prolinnova 1 st 5 minutes (Cambodia) 14

LEISA Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture Integrate soil fertility management, arable farming and animal husbandry Efficient use of nutrients, water and energy and recycle them as much as possible Minimize external inputs Use site specific farming practices Includes the best of indigenous knowledge and practices, sustainable agriculture experiences and conventional scientific knowledge It aims at stable and long lasting production levels 16

LEISA principles Mimicking nature Seeking diversity Living soils Cyclic flow patterns 17

Examples of principles Multi-storey agroforestry Mulching Mixed cropping, cereals and legumes Crop livestock integration Mixture of different varieties and breeds Multiple sources of nutrients Mulching, cover crops Contour bunding, windbreaks Organic matter to feed soil life Use crop residue as fodder Composting kitchen waste Deep-rooting crops 18

Methods for data collection In step 2 of the PTD process; looking for things to try

Secondary data collection Reports of studies, research experiments Census Climatic data Maps Collect available data from local government, Mo. A, traders, inputs suppliers, etc. GIS 20

PRA tools Direct observation Time line Semi-structured interviews Focus group discussions Story telling Case history Problem tree analyses 21

Tool selection Depends on: Focus of the result (data collection, trust building, awareness raising) Serve understanding of PTD team or farmers Skills available to PTD implementers Capacities within communities 22

Important communication skills Engage in dialogue Visualize discussions, diagramming Listening with open mind Probing Body language and non-verbal communication Perception (accept there are different perceptions) 23

Farmer innovation and Indigenous Knowledge (IK) “innovative farmers” refers to farmers who have tried or are constantly trying out new practices The outcome of the farmer innovation process are practices fitting their own reality 24

Indigenous knowledge (1) Looking for indigenous knowledge and Farmer innovation is worth doing Often Farmer innovation is driving the livelihood system of millions of farmers and yet receiving little attention (of formal science) Sometimes researchers know only little about Farmer innovation /indigenous knowledge 25

Indigenous knowledge (2) Because systematic linkages between the agricultural scientists and farmer innovators are missing Thus the two systems are not cross fertilizing each other Involve farmers in testing technologies is a way to enhance linkages between the systems Example: innovation networks in the Netherlands around certain issues 26

Thus…. we should Make conscious supports to farmer innovation systems and IK! 27

# Fodder experiments with (1) Rhodes grass, (2) Moringa, (3) Berseem, (4) Alfalfa and (5) Rhodes X Berseem Each farmers will test 1 -2 out of the 5 options Location A Location B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 FF 1 Commercial grower FF 2 Commercial grower FF 3 Self-consumption grower FF 4 Self-consumption grower FF 5 Self-consumption & commercial grower FF 6 Self-consumption & commercial grower DF 1 Cattle & land DF 2 Cattle & land Ration experiments including 4 types of green fodder x x 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 FF 3 Self-consumption FF 4 Self-consumption FF 5 Self-consumption FF 6 Self-consumption DF 1 Cattle & land DF 2 Cattle & land DF 3 Only cattle DF 4 Only cattle x x grower & commercial grower 1

Farmers will be selected from the various categories: Green fodder farmers 1. Green fodder producer who producing green fodder for the local market. 2. Green fodder producer who producing green fodder for their dairy cattle (self-consumption). 3. Green fodder producer who producing green fodder for the local market and for self-consumption. Dairy cattle breeders There are two type of breeders: 1. Dairy cattle breeder who has dairy cattle farm and land for producing green fodder for feeding his cattle. 2. Dairy cattle breeder who has only dairy cattle farm. Note: The project will target 70% to be small scale dairy cattle breeders (with 2 -5 heads of dairy cattle) and 30% to be medium scale breeders (with 5 -15 heads) The effects of green fodder feeding on milk quality and quantity and 29 growth rate of calves will be tested in both categories.

Economic assessment Calculate establishment costs of fodder plots Calculate estimated yields Calculate price/kg product Based on this ranking of options if budget for trials is not sufficient 30