9
Diversifying Rice-based Systems and
Empowering Farmers in Bangladesh
Using the Farmer Field School Approach
Marco Barzman and Sylvie Desilles
Over the past eight years, CARE-Bangladesh has been developing a set of sustain-
able agriculture projects to improve production in rice-based farming systems in
this country. These efforts have contributed to an emergent programme to increase
food security for poor and marginal farmers. The programme raises agricultural
productivity by diversifying agroecosystems and optimizing yields, reducing costs
of production and creating new income streams.
Although the programme is associated with a number of agricultural tech-
niques that are readily adopted and disseminated, it strives to achieve more than
the simple transfer of sustainable agriculture technologies. It follows a philosophy
of adult education that emphasizes personal experience and builds up people’s
confidence and ability to manage their future development (Hagmann et al, 1999).
The main difference between this and other agricultural development programmes
has been its emphasis on knowledge and experimentation, rather than technolo-
gies and material inputs. The programme enables farmers to take initiative in
experimenting with and understanding ecological processes in their fields.
These principles and methods have been developed as part of a regional pro-
gramme to refine and spread Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices within
Asia, supported since 1982 by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
(Röling and Van de Fliert, 1994). This chapter reports on experience in Bangla-
desh, focusing on the programme’s philosophy and operation as well as its results.
Reprinted from Barzman M and Desilles S. 2002. Diversifying rice-based systems and empowering
farmers in Bangladesh using the Farmer Field School approach. In Uphoff N (ed) Agroecological
Innovations, Chapter 16, pp203–211, Earthscan, London.