The Adaptive Research Planning Team (ARPT) was established to enhance the productionist approach to farming systems research within the Ministry of Agriculture in Zambia. It has moved towards working with farmer research groups in participatory modes, using R/PRA. Also, a continuous institutional self-review process and the incorporation of nutritionists have led ARPT to assume a farmer advocacy role, concerned with the sustainability of production systems, under the heading 'household food security'. This paper describes these changes and the institutional resistance these changes had to face. Resistance came largely from commodity scientists and senior research management within the Ministry's Research Branch. It is attributed to a productionist orientation and resentment of APRT's preferential treatment by foreign donors. This raises the question of institutional sustainability of the new approaches within the framework of established institutions.
Publication year:
1995
Interest groups:
This paper may interest those involved in institutionalising participatory research approaches in agricultural research institutes and government departments.
Pages:
11p.
Conference:
Paper prepared for the XVI Congress of the European Society for Rural Sociology
Conference Location:
Prague