scholarly journals Farmer Field Schools (FFSs): A Tool Empowering Sustainability and Food Security in Peasant Farming Systems in the Nicaraguan Highlands

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esperanza Arnés ◽  
Carlos G. H. Díaz-Ambrona ◽  
Omar Marín-González ◽  
Marta Astier
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
Field Schools ◽  
The Impact

Farmer field schools (FFSs) emerged in response to the gap left by the worldwide decline in agricultural extension services. With time, this methodology has been adapted to specific rural contexts to solve problems related to the sustainability of peasant-farming systems. In this study we draw upon empirical data regarding the peasant-farming system in the Nicaraguan highlands to evaluate whether FFSs have helped communities improve the sustainability of their systems and the food security of their residents using socioeconomic, environmental, and food and nutrition security (FNS) indicators. In order to appreciate the long-term impact, we studied three communities where FFSs were implemented eight, five, and three years ago, respectively, and we included participants and nonparticipants from each community. We found that FFSs have a gradual impact, as there are significant differences between participants and nonparticipants, and it is the community that first implemented FFSs that scores highest. The impact of FFSs is broad and long lasting for indicators related to participation, access to basic services, and conservation of natural resources. Finally, this paper provides evidence that FFSs have the potential to empower farmers; however, more attention needs to be paid to critical indicators like production costs and the use of external inputs in order to scale up their potential in the future.

From the field: Empowering women to improve family food security in Afghanistan

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clair Sophia Wilcox ◽  
Stephanie Grutzmacher ◽  
Rebecca Ramsing ◽  
Amanda Rockler ◽  
Christie Balch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Extension Educators ◽  
Kitchen Gardens ◽  
Food Security And Nutrition ◽  
Field Schools ◽  
The University ◽  
Women In Agriculture

AbstractKitchen gardens may improve family food security and nutrition. While these gardens are the domain of women in Afghanistan, women face unique challenges accessing training and resources to maximize small-scale agricultural output. The University of Maryland's Women in Agriculture Project builds capacity among female extension educators to work with vulnerable women to implement and maintain kitchen gardens. Extension educators use experiential methods to teach vegetable gardening, apiculture, small-scale poultry production, post-harvest handling and processing, nutrition and marketing through workshops, demonstration gardens and farmer field schools. This paper explores contextual factors related to women's food security and agricultural opportunities, describes key project activities and approaches and discusses project success and challenges, sustainability and implications for future programs.

scholarly journals Sending Farmers Back to School: The Impact of Farmer Field Schools in Indonesia

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gershon Feder ◽  
Rinku Murgai ◽  
Jaime B. Quizon
Keyword(s):  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Field Schools ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Gender Differentials and Optimal Combination of Crop Enterprises under Limited Resource Conditions in South Western Nigeria: A Case Study of Cocoa-based Farming Systems

2020 ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
G. Kelani ◽  
T. Alimi ◽  
B. J. Amujoyegbe ◽  
A. S. Bamire ◽  
A. Onwuemele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Goal Programming ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Household Size ◽  
Optimal Combination ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Gender Differentials ◽  
Linear Goal Programming

This study investigated gender differentials and an optimal combination of crop enterprises in southwestern. Specifically, it described the socio-economic characteristics of households in cocoa-based farming by gender; determine enterprise combinations of households in the cocoa-based farming systems and profile gender participation in optimal farm plan activities in cocoa-based farming systems. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 200 respondents, comprising 147 males and 53 females. Data were collected on socioeconomic characteristics such as age, household size, years of schooling and year of farming experience among others. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear goal programming. Descriptive statistics show that majority of the respondents aged above 60 years comprising of 46.5% male and 2% females, married comprising of 69.5% male and 20% female, and had a household size of between 7 and 12 persons, with males accounting for 25.5% and females 12.5%. Most of the respondents had primary school education in the study area, with 73.8% male and 26.2% female. Goal ranking showed that food security; increased income; and reduced production cost are the most important goals among farmers in the cocoa-based farming system. The linear goal programming model shows that Cocoa and Banana; Cocoa, Oil Palm and Plantain and Cocoa, Maize, Cassava and Orange are the optimal enterprise combination. It further showed that farmers will incur a cost of N38, 833.56/ha on the three basic activities to achieve the stated goals. The shadow prices for the fully utilized resources were N9348, N1352 and N6.52 for land, hired labour and capital respectively. The result further showed that 67 percent of the goal components was achieved. Percentages of female-headed households in cocoa/banana, cocoa/oil palm/plantain and cocoa/maize/cassava/orange enterprises were 45%, 31% and 0% respectively. For the goals of food security, increased income and reduced farm production costs to be accomplished in the study area, farmers should produce 0.2 ha of cocoa/banana, 1.2 ha of cocoa/oil palm/plantain and 1.25 ha of cocoa/maize/cassava/orange in the study area. Also, conscious efforts should be made by policymakers to ensure gender equality in the access and use of productive farm resources.

scholarly journals An Impact Analysis of Farmer Field Schools on Hog Productivity: Evidence from China

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 972
Author(s):  
Jinyang Cai ◽  
Fengxiang Ding ◽  
Yu Hong ◽  
Ruifa Hu
Keyword(s):  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Crop Cultivation ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Hog Production ◽  
Field Schools ◽  
The Impact

In recent decades, pigs and pork have been the central elements of Chinese agricultural systems, food security, and diet. China’s rapid income growth has induced a significant change in food consumption patterns, and hog production has received utmost attention from both, the Chinese government and the public. While the impact of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) on crop cultivation has been widely studied, few studies have examined the impact of FFS on hog production. This study uses data collected from 222 hog farmers in Beijing to examine the impact of FFS on the productivity of hog production, focusing on its three main indicators: feed conversion ratio and the mortality of sows and piglets. We found that farms that participated in FFS programs significantly improved the feed conversion ratio of hog production, particularly in small scale hog farms. On average, FFS reduced the feed conversion ratio for herd sizes of 1000, 500, and 200 by 6.8%, 10.7%, and 14.0%, respectively. We did not find evidence that farms that participated in FFS programs had a significant impact on minimizing the mortality of sows and piglets. This study suggests that the knowledge training model of the FFS program could also work in fields other than crop cultivation. Furthermore, we suggest that more attention could be paid to extension services diffusing knowledge of vaccination and disinfection in hog FFS programs.

scholarly journals Food Security and Nutrition Outcomes of Farmer Field Schools in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 630-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Doocy ◽  
Sarah Cohen ◽  
Jillian Emerson ◽  
Joseph Menakuntuala ◽  
Jozimo Santos Rocha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Food Security And Nutrition ◽  
Field Schools

scholarly journals The role of communities in sustainable land and forest management: The case of Nyanga, Zvimba and Guruve districts of Zimbabwe

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Matsvange ◽  
Ruvimbo Sagonda ◽  
Munyaradzi Kaundikiza
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Community Analysis ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Field Schools ◽  
The Impact

Forest benefit analysis is vital in ensuring sustainable community-based natural resources management. Forest depletion and degradation are key issues in rural Zimbabwe and strategies to enhance sustainable forest management are continually sought. This study was carried out to assess the impact of forests on communities from Nyanga, Guruve and Zvimba districts of Zimbabwe. It is based on a Big Lottery Fund project implemented by Progressio-UK and Environment Africa. Itfocuses on identifying replicable community forest and landmanagement strategies and the level of benefits accruing to the community. Analysis of change was based on the Income and Food Security and Forest benefits, which also constitutes the tools used during the research. The study confirms the high rate of deforestation and the increased realisation by communities to initiate practical measures aimed at protecting and sustaining forest and land resources from which they derive economic and social benefits. The results highlight the value of community structures (Farmer Field Schools and Environmental Action Groups) as conduits for natural resource management. The interconnectivity among forests, agricultural systems and the integral role of people are recognised as key to climate change adaptation.Keywords: Forest benefits; sustainability,;livelihoods; farmer field schools

scholarly journals The influence of microbial preparations and farming systems on the structure of the microbocenosis of the rhizosphere of Triticum aestivum L.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.Yu. Egovtseva ◽  
◽  
T.N. Melnichuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Microbiological Analysis ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
No Till ◽  
Number Of Microorganisms ◽  
The Impact

Microorganisms are the most important bioindicators of the environment and ecological risk assessment. The impact of the no-till farming system in combination with microbial preparations needs to be studied and is an urgent task aimed at preserving fertility. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of pre-sowing inoculation with complex microbial preparations (CMP) and farming systems (no-till and conventional farming system) on the microbocenosis of the rhizosphere of Triticum aestivum L. in the Crimean Steppe. Microbiological analysis of the rhizosphere showed a significant increase in the number of actinobacteria (twice). The number of micromycetes, among which there are many pathogens of various plant diseases, decreased under direct sowing by 23 % as a result of inoculation and amounted to 21.5 thousand CFU/g of soil. The number of cellulose-destroying microorganisms that form soil fertility increased under the influence of microbial preparations by 23 % under conventional farming system (10.0 thousand CFU/g of soil); by 20 % under no-till (15.4 thousand CFU/g of soil). Thus, it was found that the use of microbial preparations under both farming techniques contributed to an increase in the number of microorganisms of most ecological-trophic groups that participate in the transformation of nitrogen in the rhizosphere, enhanced enzymatic processes, reduced the development of pathogenic microbiota and, consequently, contributed to improving the state of soil biocenosis.

scholarly journals Influence of farming systems and soil tillage on available moisture stocks of typical black soil in spring wheat crops

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 38-47
Author(s):  
S.P. Tanchyk ◽  
◽  
O. A. Dudka ◽  
O. S. Pavlov ◽  
A. I. Babenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Durum Wheat ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Black Soil ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
Stable Yield ◽  
Biological Farming ◽  
The Impact

Numerous studies by Ukrainian and foreign scientists have shown that one of the limiting factors for obtaining a stable yield of any crop is the reserves of available moisture in the soil, especially in critical periods of plant growth. The article presents the results of research on the impact of three farming systems – industrial (control), ecological and biological and four options for primary soil tillage – plowing by 20–22 cm (control), chiseling by 20–22 cm, disking by 10–12 cm, disking for 6–8 cm on the reserves of productive moisture in the soil for growing spring durum wheat. According to research, it is established that the highest moisture reserves in a meter of soil for the period of sowing wheat was obtained by combining the biological farming system and chisel tillage, which allowed to accumulate in 2018 – 199.1 mm, 2019 – 179.6 and 2020 – 159.9 mm of available moisture in the soil. The use of chisel tillage in combination with industrial and organic farming systems also provides an advantage in all years of observations over plowing combinations and both disking options with these systems. During the growing season, against the background of all studied agricultural systems, use of chiseling and disking provided the highest reserves of available moisture in the soil. However, the best option should be considered a combination of ecological farming system with chiseling by 20–22 cm, which provided for the flowering period in 2018 – 74.0 mm of moisture, 2019 – 93.7 and 2020 – 90.9 mm, and for the harvest period culture, these indicators were, respectively, 61.0, 67.7 and 61.6 mm. The grain yield of spring durum wheat in this variant was significantly the highest in the experiment and was, respectively, 4.6, 6.7 and 5.6 t/ha.

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