| Popis: |
After discovering the seriousness of pesticide problems in Carchi, Ecuador, farmers and their communities began to search for ways to decrease reliance on agrochemicals. In 1999 the Farmer Field School (FFS) methodology was introduced, of which early results were promising. Through participation in FFSs, hundreds of potato farmers discovered alternatives to pesticides and fertilizers, while maintaining high production levels. The associated decreases in costs meant better productivity – commonly a return on investment of 40 percent or more. As a result, FFSs became increasingly popular, and it was encouraging to see numerous farmer groups, NGOs, government organisations, and even private industry adopt the methodology. Nonetheless, the optimism proved short-lived. In this article the authors do not question the utility of people-centred, problem-based, self-discovery approaches to Integrated Pest Management (IPM), such as FFS. Nevertheless, the authors have concerns over how and why professionals and their organisations diversely apply such approaches, in particular when they emerge in forms that contradict original purposes |
