Participatory rural appraisal

There has been an explosion recently of methods to enable farmers to express, present, and analyze their knowledge and to share this with scientists and extensionists. Many of the methods evolved from agroecosystem analysis and entail farmers making observations, maps, and diagrams. These are now described as "participatory rural appraisal" (PRA) methods. PRA is an extended process of appraisal and analysis that can lead to local action by a community or group. Crucial to the successful use of these methods are the attitudes and behavior of the facilitator. PRA is particularly useful in fostering interaction with resource-poor farmers.