MAINSTREAMING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
APPENDIX 3
2012
Slide 1
SOME PARTICIPATORY EXTENSION APPROACHES
TO PROMOTE ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
AND CLIMATIC VARIABILITY
Slide 4
BRIEF HISTORY OF EXTENSION
Late 1980s to 1990s
FARMERS, RESEARCHERS AND EXTENSIONISTS MUST
ALL CONTRIBUTE THEIR SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND
SKILLS AND EXPERIMENT JOINTLY-
AH!!! WE BEGIN TO REALISE THAT FARMERS HAVE A
WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE THAT, IF
TAPPED CAN BLEND WELL WITH RESEARCH AND
EXTENSION KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGIES.
ENTER….. PARTICIPATORY EXTENSION
APPROACHES INCLUDING FFSS AND T AND V,
STUDY CIRCLES
Slide 2
1950s to 1960s
“WE MUST TEACH THE FARMER THE RIGHT
TECHNOLOGY”
THE TECHNOLOGY CRAFTED AT RESEARCH
CENTRES WAS OFTEN NOT USEFUL FOR THE
RESOURCE POOR FARMER
1960s to 1970s
“WE MUST EASE THE CONSTRAINTS SO FARMERS
CAN ADOPT” i.e. credit for implements and inputs
RESOURCE RICH FARMERS PROFIT BUT WAS OFTEN
UNECONOMIC FOR THE RESOURCE POOR FARMER.
Slide 5
Definition
PARTICIPATORY EXTENSION:
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FARMERS
(OTHER STAKEHOLDERS) AND EXTENSION
AGENTS TO FOSTER DEVELOPMENT OF
COMMUNITIES THROUGH AGRICULTURAL
RELATED ACTIVITIES.
Slide 3
Early 1970s
“WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS OF THE
FARMERS AND DESISIGN TECHNOLOGIES THAT FIT
STUDY THE SYSTEM
SOLUTIONS
FIGURE OUT
RESOURCE POOR FARMERS INVOLVED AS SOURCES
OF INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR CONDITIONS
Early 1980s
“FARMERS HAVE TO SAY WHAT THEY NEED AND
EVALUATE THE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS”
FIGURE OUT VIABLE SOLUTIONS
FARMERS PARTICIPATE IN PLANNING AND EVALUATION OF
EXTENSION PROGRAMS
Slide 6
EXAMPLES OF PARTICIPATORY EXTENSION
APPROACHES.
STUDY CIRCLES: A GROUP OF FARMERS COME
TOGETHER TO STUDY A SUBJECT OF THEIR INTEREST
AND THEN PRACTICE WHAT THEY WILL HAVE LEARNT.
FFSS: A GROUP OF FARMERS EXPERIMENT
TOGETHER IN THE FIELD TO EVALUATE THE COSTS
AND BENEFITS OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO
ADDRESS AN IDENTIFIED PRODUCTION CONSTRAINT.
A Training Manual on Use of Climate Information and Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment for
Agricultural Extension Staff in Zimbabwe
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