Resources

AKRSP supports village institutions in undertaking soil and water conservation on the private land holdings of farmers as a part of the watershed management programme, identified by the villagers as one of their priorities for natural resource management. This paper examines this process with regard to the village of Madargadh. The programme has at its centre the Extension Volunteer, who prepare watershed treatment plans and maps for their village. They are trained in conducting impact studies in order that the impact of soil and water conservation programmes be assessed after the rains. The paper reports on: the sequence of participatory impact monitoring; the process of impact monitoring; recommendations of farmers, made in the light of analysis of impact data; and the application of participatory impact monitoring for natural resource management projects on the general level.

The paper examines rural people's knowledge (RPK) with regard to soil and water conservation and related practices in India. Major constraints to the incorporation of RPK into rural development and extension programmes are reviewed, and the track records of existing water and soil conservation programmes analysed. Elements of an approach which could be used to institutionalize RPK into conventional development and extension programmes are outlined, and illustrated by a case study of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, working in India. Based on this approach a strategy for institionalizing RPK as a part of the research, extension and development programme is suggested. Finally, sound policy and functional implications are highlighted.

The paper reports on the MYRADA Kamasamudram project and reviews its objectives to: (1) plan a micro watershed in a participatory way; (2) provide more experience in PRA methods for staff; (3) train staff; and (4) to introduce the PRA approach to appraisal to the villagers. The paper contains a brief note on the exercises conducted, the highlights of the exercise, the opinion of participants, and the method and extent of adoption of the key features discussed by the participants.

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.

Addresses the failures of current agricultural research and extension practices in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Looks at rural people's knowledge in formal research and extension programmes, considering Farming Systems Research and the Transfer Technology Model. Institutional biases and research agendas are considered. The paper postulates that there has been a failure to engage farmers in research and extension, as well as a failure to consider the class, ethnic, gender and age differences that affect the relationships between persons working for agricultural development agencies and rural people. Following this the paper concentrates its analysis on rural people's knowledge itself, and presents its conclusions within that context.

The focus of this research method is working with people. Many of the tools are similar to some of those used in PRA - for example SSIs, key informants and overnight stays. In-depth story telling was also used. In this way detailed agricultural information was obtained, in particular grazing, both current and historical. The graziers became 'co-researchers', involved in small and large group discussions during a workshop. No clear direction for the future was decided until after the second workshop - at this stage two issues were identified as priorities which were focal points for research. Other work has included participatory evaluations, and, in a different area, PRA.

The first RRA was carried out in Australia in 1988 with the aim of "forging closer links between researchers and farmers, utilising farmers' expertise and determining possibilities for future agronomic research in the area". It was also hoped to evaluate RRA as a "problem identification method in a developed country context". The RRA was carried out in two phases (exploratory and topical) with two teams of researchers from agricultural and social science backgrounds. The six most frequent problems, identified by producers and research team separately, are listed and a summary of the "action strategies" that were decided upon. Advantages of RRA over conventional survey methodologies included raising the profile of the School of Crop Sciences (who initiated the RRA exercise) in the Shire. The findings also supported the original assumption that "many of the problems that have been evident in developing countries are also evident in developed countries".