Methods for Analysis by Farmers: the Professional Challenge

This paper considers ways in which farmers' own analysis, method and scope, can be documented and explored. It draws out the partially complementary nature and some of the differences with regard to PRA and FPR (Farmer Participatory Research). PRA methods tend to emphasize the visual, while FPR methods are more verbal and observation based. Visual methods have strengths. Farmers have greater capacity to diagram and analyse than most outsiders have supposed, and farmers are proving to be good facilitators of analysis by other farmers. The challenge is to further develop, spread, test and improve farmers' analysis through these and other methods.