METHODS
Adoption of participatory approaches was central to planning and implementation of
research and development activities of the project. Farmers' knowledge systems and their
expertise were sought and valued. They were involved in the planning and implementation of
project activities. Collective experimental learning is a very important participatory learning
process, in which all stakeholders have a responsibility and a role to play. Collective
learning through exchange visits is one of the most important and effective mechanisms to
share/exchange good practices among each other. Farmers' exchange visit is itself not a
new method but making it more participatory and participant-led has made it more effective
for the collective learning process.
Based on the baseline information and PRA studies, it was found that farmers’ exchange
visit could be one of the best options for providing farmers with more opportunities to learn
from and share with each other. Ilam is rich in home garden diversity and farmers from other
sites could learn good practices and cultivation methods that could be useful in the project
sites other than Ilam.
The farmers' exchange visit is regarded one of the most important and effective collective
learning mechanisms used in the project because “Seeing is Believing” which is more
effective way to motivate the people (Shrestha, 2003). Collective learning through exchange
visits provides farmers opportunity to exchange ideas, knowledge, information and
technology with each other. It also helps to informally exchange the planting materials. It
provides an opportunity for farmers to get exposed to many good practices of other project
sites. The methodology is refined and developed as "Farmers' Travelling and Learning
Workshop” to make it more Participatory, where farmers get an opportunity to learn from
and share good practices with each other either formally or informally.
The farmers' travelling and learning workshop was organized from March to April, 2004 as a
part of collective learning process. Research farmers' group identified this activity during
annual activity planning meeting of the project in the first phase. All the members (36-42 per
site) of Home Garden Research and Development Committee (HGRDC) were identified for
travelling and learning workshops (Annex 2). The potential sites were finalized based on
objectives and expected outputs. Farmers were involved in the selection process to make it
more effective, and also build their ownership on the activity. The protocol for farmers’
exposure visit was developed through a discussion among professional team members as
well as incorporating suggestions from IPGRI, which was refined after collecting the inputs
from research farmers. To make it more participatory and participant-led, the following
approaches were used:
- Participatory planning for selecting sites to be visited
- Participatory tour coordination and management
- Joint monitoring and assessment of exchange visits
- Sharing the learnt good practices among the participants and with the community
The major differences in the methodology adopted in FTLW with those of conventional
farmers exchange visits are summarized as follows:
- Setting objectives of the visit by the farmers (project team’s role was more of
facilitating) - Involvement of farmers in selecting the potential sites for their visit to meet the
objective - Selection of one of the better sites managed by the farmers
- Two-way interaction with the farmers of the host group