Mainstreaming climate change response in Field School Methodology to strengthen climate-resilient service delivery
Strengthening the capacities of the relevant institutions for a sustainable increase of water storage
October 28, 2020
Locally Formulated Dairy Goat Meal addresses dairy goats feed requirements in Kenya
October 28, 2020
About this practice
CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security Programme (CCAFS) provides technical and scientific support to partners and beneficiaries in a 5-year Climate Resilient Agribusiness for Tomorrow (CRAFT) project, implemented in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as from June 2018.
Project partners are CCAFS, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, Wageningen University and Wageningen Environmental Research, Agriterra, and Rabo Partnerships. The partners leverage and create synergies with existing programs and public-private sector partners in the three targeted countries, thereby creating the institutional environment for wide-scale adoption of promoted technologies, practices and innovations.
Entry point
What was/were the main shock(s) that triggered this practice? What was the entry point for the implementation of the practice?
- To ensure that climate information and climate resilient technologies, practices and innovations are applied at farm level, CRAFT establishes farmer field schools to train farmers, setting up demonstration plots and observation protocols for farmers to learn by doing – experiential learning.
Impact
What are the main social, economic, political impacts?
- Downscaled seasonal weather forecast information is provided to the FFS by the project modeling team and the local agro meteorologist, before the FFS team begins local seasonal monitoring for comparison. AGROMETA and AESA monitoring period is decided by the group, depending on the type and nature of the focal crop or focal animal.
- Both indigenous weather information (using agreed indicators) and conventional/scientific weather information is observed, recorded, analyzed and reported. Data collection is done at predefined intervals using AESA/AGROMETA data sheet. Discussion is conducted to blend both indigenous and conventional weather information results for better, more robust decision making and appropriate action.
Main lesson learned summary
What is the main lesson learned about this good practice?
- From the first-round experience, climate-resilient FFS is proving to be a versatile and valuable tool/methodology where new topics can be incorporated in the curriculum and adjustments made to meet the circumstances of each particular setting or target group. This creates room for considering whole farm/system approach to experiential learning in the approach.
- Analysis of the pre-and-post-training assessment indicates that the training enriched participants knowledge of a blended FFS with climate information and climate-smart agriculture.
- The following elements of the course were mentioned as the most useful idea captured during the training: Climate-Smart Agriculture, Climate Change and Weather Information, knowledge of Farmer Field School, Agronomic practices including integrated pest and disease control, monitoring and evaluation of CR-FFS, presentation methods, Agro-ecosystem analysis, organizing farming calendar.
- Based on needs expressed by participants there is a demand for more attention to capacity building in the fields of financial management, marketing, standards and quality, and use of information and communication tools. Much of the current extension practice is targeted at improving technical skills only, and not addressing management skills.
- However, to be sustainable, efforts will be required to maintain technical quality and institutional support to achieve the ecological resilience, agricultural productivity and income objectives.
Learn more
Download the presentation below to find out more about this best practice
Joab Osumba
Joab Josiah Langi Osumba is a Research Officer on Climate Smart Agriculture Policy with the CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in East Africa (CCAFS EA), based at The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi. Joab has worked in and/or been a consultant for Government of Kenya, GIZ, DAI/DFID, FAO, RTI, and SIDA, among others. Joab holds a BSc in Agriculture, a Post Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Education, a Master of Philosophy in Environmental Science, and a Certificate in Environmental Management (Impact Assessment and Audit). Joab is currently a student in Climate Change Adaptation.
