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ABOUT MARCHE: : CNFA :: FFS
“FFS is an adult education program that utilizes discovery learning and participatory techniques”.
History of FFS
FFS were developed by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as an extension program or system of transferring technology to small farmers. Why was it needed? In recent years many countries have abandoned their government extension services due to budget cutting and because they had become ineffective. The classical top down extension and more recent training and visit (T&V) programs were inadequate to change farmer’s practices or impart new knowledge.
FFS were first utilized to train small rice farmers in Indonesia in the 90’s.
In 2000, in response to the need to train thousands of cocoa farmers to control a new pest, the cocoa Pod Borer (CPB), ACDI/VOCA a NGO contractor for USDA, modified the FFS system to train cocoa farmers.
The modification was only to reflect the differences in the crops, rice being a 100 day row crop and cocoa being tree crop with 160 days from pollination to harvest.
Rice farmers met weekly and the cocoa farmers met every two weeks.
The training methodology was not changed!
Methodology and Objectives
The FFS methodology is designed to empower small farmers by;
- Providing an environment in which farmers acquire the knowledge and skills to be able to make sound crop management decisions.
- Sharpen farmer’s abilities to make critical and informed decisions that make their farming business more profitable and sustainable.
- Show farmers the benefit of working in groups and encourage group activities
- Empower farmers to become “experts” on their own farms and to be more confident in solving their own problems.
Learning exercises are developed by Master Trainers to teach farmers by experimenting and developing conclusions based on their observations and knowledge thus enabling them to make good sound decisions.
Typical lesions are Agro-Eco-System-Analysis, where farmers learn to identify all pests and diseases that affect their trees and Insect Zoos where they learn the life-cycle of insect pests such as the CPB and Mirids.
Farmers also learn to determine their production losses due to pests and diseases therefore are better able to determine the best economic control systems. FFS’s use Best Management Practices (BMP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques in their learning exercises.
The empowerment of the farmers is at all phases of the program.
Learning is an evolutionary process and is characterized by free and open communication, confrontation, acceptance, respect and the right to make mistakes.
Farmers are included in making such decisions as when and where to meet, what exercises they receive and the requirements for successful completion of the training.
The Golden Rule of FFS is if in doubt “Ask the farmers”!!
The basic unit for training is 25-30 farmers from the same community that meet for one day every two weeks.
The leader is called a facilitator trainer or FT.
The FTs are trained in both technology and facilitation skills in a short one to two week program called a Training of Trainers (TOT).
The FT will have a “Tool Box” of exercises that the farmers can select from that address the problems on the farmers cocoa fields.
These problems obviously are different from country to country and even within countries between provinces and districts.
The group of farmers is divided into sub-groups of 5-6 farmers and given exercises to complete.
Exercises can vary in time from 15 minutes to 3 hours.
Upon completion of each exercise each group is asked to report on such things as their observations of soil, climate, tree conditions, pests and diseases; what conclusions they reached and recommendations for improvement.
Following each groups report the FT will facilitate a debate on the findings, conclusions and recommendations. As you may expect this is 180 degrees from the classical top down farmer extension program with the extension agent, megaphone in hand under the Mango tree telling the farmers what they must do!!
Master Trainers
Master trainers are charged with the responsibility of developing exercises that will help farmers learn technical issues in a field environment.
Farmers learn by doing and seeing, coming to the right decision in a group setting, then being empowered to implement change.
Facilitator Trainers
A facilitator trainer (FT) is typically a person with a basic education in agriculture and specific technical training in cocoa production.
He/she is provided training in facilitation skills and group dynamics in a TOT seminar.
The role of the facilitator is to create a suitable environment for learning, facilitate learning by asking questions and provide backstopping support.
A good facilitator needs not only technical knowledge, but more importantly a certain attitude.
Becoming an expert facilitator can be learned by good mentoring, on-the-job training and experience.
Each FT can train eight farmer groups or about 200 farmers (8x25) with each group meeting every two weeks.
Depending on the objective of the program the trainers can last from six months to one year.
For instance if the training objective is only to train farmers to control a single pest or disease i.e., CPB, monilia, WB, the training can usually be accomplished in six months.
If the objective is to teach new farmers how to develop new cocoa fields, (nursery, grafting, field preparation, shade, etc) the training can last one year or longer.
FT’s are also trained in “Ice breakers” and group dynamics exercises that teach the benefit of working together, trust, leadership and friendship.
Farmer Trainers
All FFS programs are designed to be sustainable beyond the normal budget life of the project.
One of the methods toward sustainability is to identify and train farmer trainers. In most groups of 25 farmers one or two farmers demonstrate leadership skills in addition to an advanced understanding of cocoa production.
These farmers are identified by the FT’s and if interested are given the opportunity to attend a TOT to learn facilitation skills.
Farmer trainers are then given one or two farmer groups to train.
These farmer trainers are cocoa farmers who live in the community, possess the skills and are available to conduct training whenever needed.
Conditions for Successful FFS programs.
- Well trained, technically competent facilitators
- Well defined priority problems
- Adequate resources and logistical support
- Clear understanding of the FFS concept and procedures by all stakeholders
- Support and good will by authorities at various levels
- Availability of appropriate technical knowledge and interventions
- Availability of an FFS curriculum
Country to Country
Following the successful introduction of FFS training in Indonesia the training methodology has been successfully transferred to:
South East Asia
Region Country Year West Africa Cameroon 2003 Nigeria 2003 Ghana 2003 Ivory Coast 2003 South America Ecuador 2003 Peru 2004 Colombia 2005 Bolivia 2006 Centtral America Panama 2008 South East Asia Indonesia 2001 Vietnam 2005 Philippines 2005
All of these countries have successfully implemented FFS training with the support of WCF, USAID, USDA, and many other partners too numerous to mention today.
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011-509-2517-9880
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