FSC in Dialog: Attaining and sustaining food security through farmer-led research 

Dr. Ann Waters-Bayer
International Support Team of Prolinnova
Leusden, The Netherlands

Do farmer-led processes of research and development help small-scale farmers attain and sustain food security? The Prolinnova (Promoting Local Innovation) initiative and two CGIAR Research Programs jointly explored approaches, outcomes and impacts of “informal” agricultural research facilitated by civil society organisations in several countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. They found that locally appropriate innovations emerging from these processes were readily taken up by other small-scale farmers; information about the process and outcomes of farmers’ research spread mainly through informal farmer-to-farmer communication and in spaces created for farmer-experimenters and other farmers to meet and exchange, such as innovation fairs; livelihood impacts were broad and substantial; and –as a key to sustainability –local capacity to innovate was strengthened. Much can be learned from these cases for future partnerships in supporting farmer-led research to improve food and nutrition security in rural communities.

This FSC in Dialog event was held at the University of Hohenheim (HS 21 / Otto-Sander-Straße 5 / Universität Hohenheim) on July 30, 2015.

Download slides of the presentation.