Ocado, F.

A participatory method that promotes farmer determination in systems-problem research was developed in response to failures in adoption of improved cropping patterns among upland farmers in the Philippines. Techniques to identify systems problems involve group and individual farmer meetings. Problems surrounding cultivation of marginal uplands were identified. An informal random sample survey guided by topics of inquiry and biological measurements that employed systems analytical tools was used to obtain farmers' perception of 'systems-problems'.

It reports on research whose aim is to develop methods that maximize farmers' inputs in problem identification, systems understanding, and hypothesis generation. For each of the three stages the paper describes process and discussion between farmers and researchers. Conclusions are given and the paper has ample figures and illustrations.