Comparative analysis of farmer-scientist training program (FSTP), community-based participatory action research program (CPAR), and integrated pest management kasakalikasan (IPM-kasakalikasan) in Siquijor province [Philippines]
2011
Rosales, F.J.
Three national research, development and extension (RDE) programs - Farmer Scientist Technology Program (FSTP), Community-Based Participatory Action Research Program (CPAR) and Integrated Pest Management/Kasakalikasan (IPM/Kasakalikasan) Program in Siquijor province [Philippines] were compared and analyzed using the sustainable agriculture framework, specifically focusing on their scope, approaches, strategies, outcome and impact. Although the programs have differences, they share strong commonalities in terms of program's thrust (poverty alleviation, food security, diversification of farming systems, hunger mitigation and improved quality of life of rural people), being corn-based farming systems, formation of farmers' association, dissemination and enhancement of technology, and empowerment by developing farmers' ability of making critical and informed decisions that render production systems more productive and profitable. Unique to FSTP is teaching scientific farming methods to farmers thru the learning-by-doing and doing-by-learning strategies. The program used the baseline survey before its implementation. Farmer-scientists participate in the three phases of field experimentation, i.e., the trainings in Phase 1 and 2 and the refresher course in Phase 3. In Phase 3 the Farmer-scientists share their experiences with and outside their barangay [village] and serve as resource persons by teaching fellow farmers theirs learned technologies by setting up group experiments with supervision from the scientists, experts and LGU [local government unit] facilitators. The FSTP has strong support from and partnership with the provincial and municipal governments, which are bound by provincial and municipal resolutions. Inputs provided to farmers are dole-out basis. The FSTP tends to be the most comprehensive among the three programs studied based on its three-phase experimental component and trainings, but some farmer participants especially women commented that doing the experiments is tedious. The CPAR program is more of a technology demonstration (extension and transfer of technologies), community-based consultative participatory approach, and includes the IPM protocol. Unique to CPAR is that farmers, local officials and other stakeholders are involved during the participatory rural appraisal (PRA), action planning and project implementation in the community. Aiming to develop strategies for enterprise and agribusiness development, CPAR requires that at least 15 farmers per barangay be selected to easily establish a farmer's association or cooperative with an identity of its own and possessing marketing power. The contract is sealed through a Memorandum of Agreement. The program implements a pay-back scheme of inputs provided to farmers to sustain it in the community.
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