1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Visayas State University (VSU) - Philippines

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) - Germany

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Centre for Agricultural BioSciences International (CABI) - United Kingdom

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Entertainment-education for ecological engineering involves a series of TV pro-grammes that educate rice farmers about ecosystem services, as well as ecologi-cal engineering techniques to conserve biodiversity in rice landscapes.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

Aims / objectives: A multi-stakeholder participatory process was adopted in formative research, then designing and developing a soap-opera series, launching the programme, followed by implementing on-the-ground support, and monitoring of progress. The stakeholders involved were from research, extension, a video production company and local government. To make sure the educational content was accurately and seamlessly woven into drama, the collaborating team was composed of technical experts and scriptwriters, nicknamed the ‘‘turtles and peacocks’’. Each 15-minute episode is composed of 3 parts: a short drama by comedians, an explanation by experts, and then a summary of the lesson portrayed in that particular episode.

Methods: The LEGATO TV series was produced by Viet Idea, a video company based in Ho Chi Minh City, and was broadcast on Long An TV (LA34) weekly for 20 weeks. The 18 episodes were based on the values grid that LEGATO scientists had developed. They covered a range of topics including organic matter decomposition, organisms and microorganisms, straw burning, rural habitats, the food chain, the architecture of traditional houses, the role of silicon in rice production, honey bees, plant health, eco-tourism and eco-engineering.

Stages of implementation: To popularize and enhance the viewership of the LEGATO Ecological Engineering TV series, a “Meet the Actors Day” was organized in Khanh Hau village, Tan An Town, Long An Province. The organisers comprised “Cong Nghe Xanh”, Long An TV (LA34), Y Tuong Viet (Idea Vietnam), and the Southern Regional Plant Protection Centre. The event was attended by the village People’s Committee Chair, farmers, Long An TV staff and plant protection officers. The “Meet the Actors” day is one of the elements in the entertainment-education approach. To track viewership and audience reactions to the TV series, four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 41 rice farmers in four villages in Long An province. A post-broadcast survey was carried out in January 2015 among 396 randomly selected rice farmers in Long An and Tien Giang Provinces.

Role of stakeholders: The role of the different stakeholders in the approach was as follows: 1) Farmers provided feedback on the relevance and usefulness of the TV episodes and sug-gested other topics; 2) Plant protection officers worked with TV episode scriptwriters and served as subject matter specialists to simplify the educational content of each episode; 3) Local plant protection experts provided the scientific explanation behind the topics tackled in the episodes; 4) Local government was represented by Dr Nguyen Van Khang, former Director of Agriculture in Tien Giang province who agreed to allocate a portion of the provincial pesticide budget into ecological engineering demonstrations as he required data to be generated locally. Since then, from 2010 to 2014, more demonstration fields were set up.

Other important information: Preliminary analyses showed no significant differences in farmers’ insecticide use, but significant differences were found in beliefs and positions about growing flowers, biocontrol, and silicon use. A follow-up farmer survey was conducted to further eval-uate the effects of the TV series on rice farmers in Tien Giang and Long An Provinces.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• recent local initiative/ innovative

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The Approach focused on SLM only (reducing insecticide use, restoring biodiversity in rice landscapes )

Improve farmers’ pest management, reduce their insecticide use and improve their land use to include conservation of biodiversity.

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: Lack of funds to support SLM; Unregulated pesticide marketing continues to negate the gains obtained by SLM.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	passive	SLM promoters
planning	interactive	All stakeholders
implementation	self-mobilization	All stakeholders
monitoring/ evaluation	self-mobilization	SLM promoters and local implementers
Research	interactive	SLM promoters

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• mainly SLM specialists, following consultation with land users

Explain:

A stakeholder consultation workshop was organized at the initial stage.

Decisions on the method of implementing the SLM Technology were made by mainly by SLM specialists with consultation of land users. Through stakeholder consultation and focus group discussions

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• land users
• field staff/ advisers

Form of training:

• on-the-job
• farmer-to-farmer
• demonstration areas
• public meetings

Form of training:

• Communication campaign

Subjects covered:

Principles of ecological engineering and pest management

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

• Consultation

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• no

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

Comments:

socio-cultural aspects were regular monitored by land users through observations

socio-cultural aspects were regular monitored by land users through measurements

There were no changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation

There were no changes in the Technology as a result of monitoring and evaluation

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

Specify topics:

• ecology

Give further details and indicate who did the research:

Research was carried out on-farm

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• 10,000-100,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

Approach costs were met by the following donors: international (German Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF (70,000 USD)): 70.0%; government (30,000 USD): 30.0%

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Yes

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• agricultural

If labour by land users was a substantial input, was it:

• voluntary

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

No

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• uncertain

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Our research partners find the use of Entertainment-Education an easy approach to implement as there is often a warm response from the audience - farmers, women's groups and local government officials.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view

The use of entertainment-education approach has been found to be highly successful in Vietnam. An evaluation survey of a radio drama program we launched in 2004, after completion of the program, showed that farmers who had listened to at least two episodes of the program reduced their insecticide sprays by 60%, their fertilizer and seed rates by 9% and 33% respectively (Heong et al., 2008). (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: It can be sustained if there is funding to support the activities.)

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
The land users would rely on funding to be able to implement this approach as there is a cost in producing the TV series.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
An important challenge is the longer-term sustainability of the TV series. The challenge is to mainstream such programs into the TV station’s regular programming. To maintain a long TV series will require funding. A further threat to sustain the gains made by the TV series is “advertising piracy” where the TV series is being used to advertise new pesticides.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Westpal, Catrin, Vidal, Stefan, Horgan, Finbarr G., Gurr, Geoff M., Escalada, Monina, Chien, Ho Van, Tscharntke, Teja, Heong, Kong Luen & Settele, Josef. (2015). Promoting multiple ecosystem services with flower strips and participatory approaches in rice production landscapes. Basic and Applied EcologyHeong, K.L., Escalada, M.M., Chien, H.V. and Cuong, L,Q. 2014. Restoration of rice landscape biodiversity by farmers in Vietnam through education and motivation using media. In G. Mainguy (ed) Special issue on large scale restoration of ecosystems. S.A.P.I.E.N.S (online) Vol 7 No. 2. http://sapiens.revues.org/1578. Electronic ISSN 1993-3819Heong, K.L., Escalada, M.M., Huan, N.H., Ky Ba, V.H., Quynh, P.V., Thiet, L.V. and Chien, H.V. 2008. Entertainment-Education and rice pest management: A radio soap opera in Vietnam. Crop Protection, 27: 1392-1397.

Available from where? Costs?

Basic and Applied EcologyG. Mainguy (ed) Special issue on large scale restoration of ecosystems. S.A.P.I.E.N.S (online) Vol 7 No. 2. http://sapiens.revues.org/1578. Electronic ISSN 1993-3819 Crop Protection, 27: 1392-1397.

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Heong, K.L., Escalada, M.M., Chien, H.V. and Cuong, L,Q. 2014. Restoration of rice landscape biodiversity by farmers in Vietnam through education and motivation using media. In G. Mainguy (ed) Special issue on large scale restoration of ecosystems. S.A.P.I.E.N.S (online) Vol 7 No. 2. http://sapiens.revues.org/1578. Electronic ISSN 1993-3819

Available from where? Costs?

G. Mainguy (ed) Special issue on large scale restoration of ecosystems. S.A.P.I.E.N.S (online) Vol 7 No. 2. http://sapiens.revues.org/1578. Electronic ISSN 1993-3819

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Heong, K.L., Escalada, M.M., Huan, N.H., Ky Ba, V.H., Quynh, P.V., Thiet, L.V. and Chien, H.V. 2008. Entertainment-Education and rice pest management: A radio soap opera in Vietnam. Crop Protection, 27: 1392-1397.

Available from where? Costs?

Crop Protection, 27: 1392-1397.