Breve descripción de la práctica óptima

Farmer Led Documentation (FLD) is an empowering process in which local communities take the lead role in the documentation process.FLD ensures that relevant experiences and good practices at the community level are visible as a starting point for further Farmer Led agricultural development. FLD is an approach that was developed as a participatory communication strategy that would involve the farmers directly thus reversing the traditional cycle of government and development agents bringing information as well as services and impressing them on the local farmers. The FLD approach provides local farmers with a role of being their own knowledge managers, problem solvers and decision makers.|

Lugar

In Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.|

Breve descripción del entorno natural en el lugar especificado

The three countries involved in the Farmer Led and Knowledge management project are located in the Eastern and southern part of Africa with tropical kind of climate.(Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia)|

Condiciones socioeconómicas imperantes de los habitantes del lugar o las proximidades

The project mainly focused on and was implemented by Small scale farmers whose major source of income is the agriculture products.

¿En base de qué criterios o indicadores (no relacionados con la Estrategia) se ha considerado la práctica propuesta y la tecnología correspondiente como ‘óptima’?

• Level of adaptation by small scale farmers.
• Results of the entire project.
• Level of sustainability of the practice.

Principales problemas que trata la práctica óptima

Farmers have a lot of hidden expert knowledge which could be harnessed to solve their day to day problems. The farmers needed and were willing to document this knowledge and share it with others if they were allowed to take the lead in the process.|Farmers were faced with the challenge of illiteracy, financial constraints, lack of advanced technologies and lack of skills to document. FLD was to address these challenges by encouraging participation of the marginalized groups, use of the locally available documentation methods to ensure sustainability.

Especifique los objetivos de la práctica óptima.

To enhance and strengthen the capacity of farmers to document their knowledge and experiences for shared learning horizontally and vertically.|To build the capacity of development practitioners to integrate FLD into their work.|To enhance and strengthen networking and information sharing on FLD.|To strengthen, promote and upscale FLD methodologies and practices among farming communities and development practioners.

Breve descripción de las principales actividades, por objetivo

An exchange and dissemination workshop on FLD.|FLD integrated into the different development organisations projects and programmes.
Implement 6 diverse FLD methodologies which ensure at least 50% participation of marginalized groups piloted and shared widely.|Building the capacity of Farmer led and Farmer Oriented networks and organisations enhanced in the use of FLD for advocacy and lobbying.

Breve descripción y especificaciones técnicas de la tecnología

Farmer Led Documentation is a technology where by the Small Scale farmers take the lead role in documenting their farming practices. FLD involves the use of locally and readily available documentation methodologies like pictures, note taking, songs, recordkeeping and many others.|

Nombre y dirección de la institución que desarrolla la tecnología

Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Uganda
|Plot 155, Kira Road, Kamwokya.
P.O Box 35804, Kampala- Uganda

¿La tecnología se desarrolló en una alianza?

Sí

enumere los asociados:

1. Oxfam Novib
2. PROLINNOVA international

Especifique el marco en el que se promovió la tecnología

• Iniciativa nacional – gubernamental
• Iniciativa nacional – no gubernamental
• Iniciativa internacional
• Iniciativa basada en un programa/proyecto

¿La participación de interesados locales, incluidas las organizaciones de la sociedad civil, favoreció el desarrollo de la tecnología?

Sí

enumere los interesados participantes:

If yes, list local stakeholders involved:
1. East and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF) Uganda
2. Africa 2000 Network(A2N)Uganda
3. Rural Empowerment Network(REN)

Detalle la función de los interesados enumerados anteriormente en cuanto a diseño, introducción, uso y mantenimiento de la tecnología, en su caso.

All the stakeholders listed above played the role of implementing the FLD Pilot project with their respective farmer communities by integrating in their already existing projects. They used technologies like still photos and record keeping.

¿La población que habitaba en el lugar o en las proximidades participó en el desarrollo de la tecnología?

Sí

¿de qué manera?

• Planteamientos basados en la participación

Describa los impactos in situ (los dos principales impactos por categoría).

• Culturally farmers would document through telling short stories, music, myths and drawings. FLD encourages the use of these practices as documentation methodologies, therefore it encourage the use of cultural practices.|
Documentation in the farms (book keeping) and at trainings by the farmers helps them keep a close eye on the progress of their plants and knowing what to do in case of any problem. This guarantees improvement in production/productivity.
• Book keeping/record keeping has always been a good practice therefore farmers that practice FLD by keeping track of their expenditure and income became more economically stable.
Farmer experiences in conservation farming practices for adaptation to climate change and FLD were documentated, shared within the community and disseminated i.e. publication on farmers’ experience with conservation farming was produced. |

Impacto en la diversidad biológica y el cambio climático

Justifíquelo:

While farmer Led documentation does not directly impact on bio dirservity. The improvement in farmer farming practices through documentation leads to positive impact in bio diversity conservation.

¿Se ha elaborado un análisis costo-beneficio?

¿Se ha elaborado un análisis costo-beneficio? :

No

¿La tecnología se difundió o introdujo en otros lugares?

¿La tecnología se difundió o introdujo en otros lugares? :

Sí

¿Dónde? :

The Pilot project beneficiaries were very few compared to the entire population surrounding them. While the development organization that were piloting this project could only reach a few small scale farmers in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. Other community members adopted and replicated these activities.|

¿Se dispuso de incentivos para facilitar la aceptación de la tecnología proporcionada?

¿Se dispuso de incentivos para facilitar la aceptación de la tecnología proporcionada?

Sí

Especifique qué tipo de incentivos:

• Incentivos financieros (por ejemplo, tasas preferenciales, ayudas estatales, subvenciones, donaciones, garantías de préstamo, etc.)

¿Puede identificar las tres principales condiciones para el éxito de la práctica óptima/tecnología presentada?

Highly motivated development organizations that were willing to integrate FLD within their already existing project and programmes. This is shows that FLD is replicable elsewhere as long as the development organisations and agents(NGOs), local governments are willing to work together to build the capacity of the small scale farmers.|

Replicabilidad

¿En su opinión, la práctica óptima/la tecnología que ha propuesto se puede reproducir en cualquier otro lugar con un cierto nivel de adaptación?

Sí

¿A qué nivel?

• Local
• Nacional

En relación con los recursos humanos

It is important to consider all aspects of human resource in FLD projects

En relación con los aspectos técnicos

A difference was made by participation of farmers. It enriched the knowledge sharing process as they understood issues better. By taking the lead, farmers were empowered to own the process and the knowledge.|