94 Participatory Processes
(R&D) is not the experiment station, laboratory or greenhouse, necessary though
they are for some purposes, but farmers’ fields and conditions; what is transferred
by outsiders to farmers is not precepts but principles, not messages but methods,
not a package of practices to be adopted but a basket of choices from which to
select. The menu, in short, is not fixed or table d’hôte, but à la carte and the menu
itself is a response to farmers’ needs articulated by them. All this demands changes
in activities and roles.
Farmer-first Activities and Roles
Contributions to this book show farmers carrying out or participating in various
activities which in the TOT mode are conducted only by scientists. Three of these,
again and again, are analysis, choice and experiment. To support farmers in these
activities generates and requires new roles for outsiders:
Farmers’ activities New roles for outsiders
analysis convenor, catalyst, adviser
choice searcher, supplier, travel agent
experiment supporter, consultantWhat these activities and roles entail can be illustrated by contributions to this
book, supported by other sources.
(i) Analysis. Analysis by farmers takes many forms and can be promoted in many
ways, involving outsiders to different degrees. In the examples in this book an
outsider has often played a role, whether as questioner, convenor of a group, stim-
ulator of discussion or catalyst whose presence speeds up the process.
Analysis can be part of or generated by the use of a method. Some examples
are:
Table 6.1 Transfer of technology and farmer-first comparedTOT FF
Main objective
Analysis of needs and
priorities byTransfer technology
OutsidersEmpower farmers
Farmers assisted by
outsiders
Primary R&D location Experiment station,
laboratory, greenhouseFarmers’ fields and
conditions
Transferred by outsiders
to farmersPrecepts
Messages
Package of practicesPrinciples
Methods
Basket of choices
The ‘menu’ Fixed À la carte