The Participation of resource poor farmers in technological change in the Gambia: a village level examination of the farmers innovation and technology programme [FITT]

The study examines the Farmer Participatory Research approach to technology generation for resource poor farmers, and how it compares to other approaches to agricultural technology generation. The Farmers Innovation and Technology Testing [FITT] is a farmer participatory evaluation method. Through FITT the Gambian Department of Agricultural Research has attempted to establish a 'technology link' with farmers groups that have been 'set-up' by NGOs. The core of this study is an evaluation of the FITT programme using PRAs in two villages. Although the report is perhaps too large for mailing as a whole, it does contain some extensive discussion of these 'PRA based evaluations': Chapter 4 covers the PRA methods employed, which included wealth ranking exercises, preference ranking of crops and the drawing of seasonal calendars. Chapter 7 provides some useful discussion concerning some of the limitations and problems encountered in this PRA exercise. Finally the appendices include some detailed description of the PRA exercises mentioned above.