Harnessing indigenous knowledge and innovation in farmer field schools

Abstract

Due to the highly diverse farming systems of Africa and the need for context-specific solutions, Farmers Field School (FFS) initiatives in East Africa have sometimes faced problems in finding appropriate technologies for testing and dissemination. It has also proved a challenge to integrate indigenous knowledge at all stages of the FFS approach and ensure a dynamic blend of technologies developed by research agents and practices evolved by local farmers. At the same time Africa has an enormous resource of untapped traditional knowledge and promising innovations and initiatives that could bring substantial benefits for other smallholder farmers on a wider application.