Enabling and Empowering the community through Collective Learning
Process: Lessons Learnt from Farmers’ Travelling and Learning
Workshop
Rojee Suwal, Resham Gautam and Bhuwon Sthapit
ABSTRACT
In order to fill the research gap and promote home gardens as a potential source of family
nutrition and dietary diversity, LI-BIRD is implementing the project entitled "Enhancing the
Contribution of Home Gardens to on Farm Management of Plant Genetic Resources and to
Improve the Livelihoods of Nepalese Farmers" in close collaboration with different research
and development organizations and farming communities. The project has emphasized
participatory approaches in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Four
research sites have been identified providing adequate contrasts in terms of agro-
ecosystems and socio-cultural settings. Home Garden Research and Development
Committee, comprising 36-42 research farmers, was established in each site to conduct
research and development interventions in home gardens. Since the species composition,
structure, use-value, marketing system of surplus of home gardens as well as working
approach of group, knowledge, ideas and perception of selected research farmers vary
across the sites, collective learning mechanisms through exchange visits was used as
potential approach to provide an opportunity to share the good practices between and
among research farmers of different sites as well as expose them to resource gardens,
nursery management and marketing systems.
Through a collective learning approach, farmers have identified certain good or replicable
practices like group mobilization and fund generation, domestication of wild species in home
gardens, nursery management, use-value of species (e.g., chayote) and the exchange of
planting materials. The collective learning and sharing approach through farmers’ exchange
visits motivated some research farmers, and the good or replicable practices identified by
farmers were assessed, and some have started to adopt it. Particularly, revitalization of
groups, exchange of planting materials within the community, introduction of new species in
home gardens, participatory monitoring and supervision of home garden activities are some
of the good practices adopted by farmers.
Key words: Home garden, family nutrition and dietary diversity, participatory approaches,
collective learning approach, good practices
INTRODUCTION
Home gardens are an integral part of traditional farming systems. Multipurpose species are
cultivated to fulfil the daily requirements of the household in home gardens and managed by
family members. Despite the crucial role in livelihood strategies of the farming community,
farmers have not considered home gardens an important source of daily household
requirements as compared to the large agro-ecosystem. The scientific investigation on the
value of home gardens in Nepal is limited. It is very important to make farmers, researchers
and policy makers aware of the significant contribution of home gardens on the farm
management of plant genetic resources as a source of family nutrition.
LI-BIRD is implementing the project entitled "Enhancing the Contribution of Home Gardens
to on Farm Management of Plant Genetic Resources and to Improve the Livelihoods of
Nepalese Farmers'" in close collaboration with different research and development