the use of farmer field school to drive agroforestry innovation adoption: the jamaican experience

The Use of Farmer Field School to Drive Agroforestry Innovation Adoption.

THE JAMAICAN EXPERIENCE

Ja REEACH CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE SYMPOSIUM | JUNE 16, 2014 | JAMAICA

About Farmer Field School(FFS)

• An extension training methodology that focuses on learning through facilitation.

• Conducted in the field where discovery and experiential learning are promoted around a specific focus problem

• Farmer centered

• Training is guided by a competent facilitator

FacilitationDiscovery Learning

Adult education

Group dynamics

Context: About The Focus Problem

• Much of the land occupied by small farmers is located on steep slopes (in upper watershed areas)• Inappropriate farming practices. • Farmers sometimes advance further upland and clearing

forested. • Farmers in degraded watershed are more vulnerable to

the impacts of climate variability.

Integrating Agroforestry Innovations

• Agroforestry was selected by the Ja REEACH Project as the land use alternative of choice to reduce vulnerability and improve both the livelihoods and the adaptive capacity of rural families to climate change

• To achieve this Ja REEACH designed the Agroforestry

Farmer Field School (AFFS) and Agroforestry as a Business (AfaaB) training programs that transferred agroforestry technologies based on local assessments

Case Study - Implementing the Agroforestry Farmer Field School (AFFS) ith Jamaican small-farmers

Process of AFFS Implementation

Curriculu

m Developme

nt

• Jamaica specific agroforestry curriculum based on stakeholder consultation and diagnosis and design

Training

• Training of Trainers followed by in-field delivery of Technical Modules

Practical

Applicatio

n

• Farmers Practise and implement agroforestry and land husbandry innovations on the learning or DEMO plots

Best Practi

ce Diffus

ion

• Members of the field schools apply the innovations on their farms.

List of Innovations implemented (linked to GCC challenge)

Climate Driven Challenge Agroforestry Innovations & Climate-smart BMP Climate Change Benefit

Drought • Rainwater harvesting• Fire Boundary / Breaks• Mulching• Fodder Bank• Integration of drought tolerant crops

• Adaptation

More intense rainfall (flooding/ soil loss)

• Individual Basins• Gully Plugs• Contour farming (using barriers)• Riparian Strips• Spot filling

• Adaptation

Temperature & Increased Pest and Disease

• Integrated Pest Management• Shade house

• Adaptation

Stronger and more frequent high wind events

• Wind break• Pruning• Line Planting

• Adaptation & Mitigation

Practicing Innovations

Highlighting Innovations

Fodder Bank

Pennisetum purpureum

Gliricidia sepium

Apiculture as agroforestry

Apiculture as agroforestry

Figure 1. AFFS members with seedlings in hand as they move to planting

Taungya

Pineapple Barrier Planted on Contour

Management of citrus greening

Program Results

• 14 AFFS were established across seven parishes that reached over 700 farmers including youth and women:• 12% were in the 18-25 age group (42% of those are female)• 35% of all AFFS participants were female

• Over 74 hectares of watershed areas applying agroforestry innovations as per D&D and farm plan were improved.• Over 45,000 seedlings for economic tree crops were planted

including, cocoa, coffee, ackee, citrus, breadfruit and exotic fruits• Pre and post training assessment determined that farmers

demonstrated a 33% increased in knowledge.• GIS data collected from farmers’ plot showed that all participants

implemented one or more innovations. Most popular being spot planting.

Lessons Learned

• The AFFS is an effective training approach to stimulate group learning and adoption around a focus problem and group dynamic

• The strength and effectiveness of a FFS group depends greatly on the existing;

Organization structure, Human resource skills available leadership Management of resources and conflict. Competency of the facilitator

• Effective implementation of AFF requires institutional and value chain partner support. (Pluralistic extension)

• Participants showed more interest in plants that provide services to the ecosystem and also generate timely economic returns.

• Land tenure influenced agroforestry and land husbandry decision

Thank You

AFFS CURRICULUM

Module 1: Welcome to AFFSModule 2: Climate-Smart AgroforestryModule 3: Agroforestry Ecosystem Analysis for AgroforestryModule 4: Agroforestry Farm PlanningModule 5: Tree Nursery ManagementModule 6: Land HusbandryModule 7: WindbreaksModule 8: Tropical Home GardensModule 9: Fodder BanksModule 10: Shade Management Module 11: Planting & Protecting of SeedlingsModule 12: Life After AFFS

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