Farmer participation in agricultural research: new directions or old problems?

This paper argues that although farmer participation in agricultural research has yielded valuable results, it does not constitute a new direction for agricultural research; it does not provide a basis for significant reorientation. Similarly, methodological innovations in participatory research add to the reportoire of techniques available for adaptive research but contribute to, rather than replace, principles that have been developed for more conventional research. The main concern expressed by the book is that farmer participation raises but does not solve three key issues: the development of agricultural technology for diverse conditions; the problem of sustainable resource management; and the need for better targeting of research towards resource-poor farmers.