Working more closely with producers: a new guide |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Linking pro-poor livestock research and development - Participatory Livestock Research | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
'Participatory Livestock Research - A Guide', is a new book designed to help researchers avoid the problem of new technologies not being adopted by small livestock keepers. Many technologies have not been adopted in the past for a range of reasons. Some, for example, did not take into account the limited resources of poor users, like lack of land, while others targeted problems that poor producers did not feel were urgent. The new book teaches its readers how to work more closely with end users, to ensure that the final result is something that is wanted and can be used. It details the methods and principles applied to participatory technology development, and backs this up with a range of case studies from Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. Project Ref: LPP27:
Research Programmes: Livestock Production Programme (co-funded by Rockefeller Foundation). Relevant Research Projects:
The Book, published in early 2005, was written to provide guidance on how more effectively to link research with pro-poor development in the small-scale livestock sector of less developed countries. The problem addressed is that much of the livestock research in less developed countries has failed to benefit poor people. Livestock-keepers have not adopted the technologies developed by researchers for various reasons including:
The Book describes and gives hands-on guidance on participatory research approaches which can be used to ensure that technologies developed do not have the above-mentioned characteristics, and are both relevant and appropriate to poor farmers' circumstances. Guidance on participatory needs assessment and problem identification increase the likelihood that research outputs will be demand-led and relevant to the intended users, including pro-poor targeting. Detail is given on methods and principles for participatory technology development, in which prospective users are involved in decision-making about technologies to be tested, experimental design, monitoring and evaluation. Participatory livestock research greatly increases the chances that the technology developed is relevant to local circumstances, and can be further adapted to cover a range of circumstances and farmers' resource constraints. This is because the suitability (or otherwise), acceptability and relevance of outputs is demonstrated under on-farm conditions. The Book also describes how to maximise the impact of participatory livestock research and reach larger numbers of potential users. 10 case studies of participatory livestock research from Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America provide examples of getting research into use within communities covering a range of livestock species and constraints.
** A shift in livestock research policy and practice is advocated with evidence to support this - providing opportunities for wider advocacy through RIU programme.
Any kind of avian or mammalian domestic livestock (including chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, cattle and donkeys) providing a range of products (meat, milk, eggs, wool, manure) and services (farm power, transport, capital investment, social and ceremonial uses). Most of the general approaches and many of the methods also apply to participatory crop production and post-harvest research, although some issues are specific to livestock research.
NB: Livestock play a particularly key role in semi-arid and hillside systems which are less favoured for crops; and also for landless households in high potential and peri-urban systems where the poor can manage to keep livestock. Under agricultural intensification processes there is scope for livestock crop interactions (positive and negative).
There are two significant opportunities for clustering this output with related outputs:- 1) Linking with well described and validated technical knowledge (and products) in the livestock sector with potential for out-scaling these to other locations through a participatory adaptive research process drawing on the tools and lessons in The Book. 2) Linking good practice in participatory livestock research and scaling up in The Book to insights and good practice from other (livestock and crop related) projects focused on the pro-poor promotion and communication of research knowledge, participatory approaches and improving access to markets, Some opportunities are indicated in the table below
How the outputs were validated: Experienced practitioners from a variety of intermediary organisations were involved, including Public Extension Providers (e.g. Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Kenya) National Agricultural Research Institutes (e.g. Kenya Agricultural Research Institute), NGOs (e.g. ITDG in Kenya and Sudan), Universities (e.g. 2 Mexican universities) and CGIAR centres (CIAT, ILRI). The book draws on the author's own experience and the extensive experience of the various case study authors in developing and testing participatory livestock research and dissemination methods. Each of the 10 case studies used participatory methods to develop and test technologies with livestock-keepers (i.e. end-users) in the field. A number of the case studies also used participatory approaches to share, disseminate and adapt livestock technologies more widely. Both the livestock technologies and the participatory research methods were validated by technical experts working in partnership with local livestock producers. In some cases the livestock keepers belonged to farmer associations or groups, and in other cases they were individual collaborators in the research process. In some the participants were also processors of livestock products, particularly when quality was an issue, as in the case of spinners and weavers of wool from sheep in Mexico. Replication and adaptation Because the methods described have been successfully used by a range of intermediary organisations working with a range of livestock species and types of local community, the scope for replication and adaptation of their use is considerable. Pro-poor targeting Poor women were the main end-user groups in some of the case studies, including one in India and two in Mexico. The author's own field work on goats (R6953) and chickens (R7633 led by Dr Nick Sparks of Scottish Agricultural College) in India worked with landless women, as well as tribal women involved in semi-arid production systems. The options provided in questions 7 and 8 do not include a 'landless' category - whereas the LPP categories of types of livestock-keepers and systems included 'landless'. This is important from the point of view of poverty focus, as many of the 'extreme poor' in Asia (and parts of peri-urban and high potential Africa) do not have access to land for crop production (except perhaps as share-croppers), but do own a few smallstock and have access to common grazing areas. As many of the case studies illustrate, care was taken to target parts of the livestock sector involving and benefiting a greater proportion of poorer households and women livestock keepers (e.g. poultry and small ruminants). Measures and guidance to ensure inclusion of issues affecting poorer livestock keepers in the research agenda and to foster the participation of marginalised groups throughout the (on-farm) research process are addressed in The Book. Where the Outputs were Validated: The methods and approaches described in the book have been tested in a range of countries, agro-ecologies and livestock systems. The details are in the Table below.
Who are the Users? More than 1000 copies of the book have been sold since it was published in March 2005. CTA purchased 500 copies for distribution to organisations in Afro-Caribbean Pacific (ACP) countries through its Distribution of Agricultural Reference Books programme. LPP purchased 100, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) purchased 60, and NRI purchased 50. The rest have been purchased by individuals and organisations around the world. Unfortunately, there is no system in place providing further detail for identifying who has received copies of the book, or for tracking its use by those who have received it. Judging from the mandates of organisations that have ordered the book it could be assumed that professionals working in the livestock sector (research, extension, higher education) in developing countries have been the main recipients and potential users. There is also evidence that the book is being used by universities in Europe as elaborated below. Further specific information on current promotion and uptake pathways for The Book is provided below. Where the outputs have been used: There has not been a formal system for tracking use of the book, as the project ended with its publication. However, it is known that the book has been used in various developing countries including India and Vietnam - See below for specific examples of use relating to capacity building. Scale of Current Use: Not known - see above Policy and Institutional Structures, and Key Components for Success: International programmes Both the PROLINNOVA programme (see below) and Interco-operation's Agriculture and NRM programme have made their collaborators and projects aware of The Book. DFID's Livestock Production Programme developed an international network of livestock researchers focused on small-stock research (with a pro-poor orientation). The network had five annual workshops, in India, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa at which the author and his Indian colleagues presented papers describing their participatory research in India (R6953 and R7633). LPP distributed copies of The Book to all project leaders, including members of the network. The CGIAR centres have a system-wide initiative on Participatory Research and Natural Resources Management that is promoting participatory research within the CGIAR system. The Book has been publicised on the initiative's website. ILRI has become more receptive to participatory approaches, as is reflected in the fact that it purchased 60 copies of the book. National programmes and policies Some countries have had national initiatives that have promoted and legitimised participatory and innovative approaches to reforming practice in agricultural research and extension, e.g. Kenya Agricultural Research Institute's National Agricultural Research Project Phase 2 (1994-99), and currently the Kenya Agricultural Productivity Project and the Strategy for the Revitalisation of Agriculture,. Supportive Institutions. Research institutions, often with donor influence, have given vocal support to participatory research approaches, but these are not often backed by appropriate incentives and resources. Incentive systems based on numbers of papers published in scientific journals have tended to discourage participatory research. Many journals continue to regard such research as 'messy' and unscientific, refusing to publish articles. In addition, the funds available to researchers for travel and subsistence when doing research on-farm are often insufficient. Within the international research organisations, such as ILRI, the pressure to demonstrate impact to funders has resulted in more partnerships with NGOs and also more involvement with dissemination work. Capacity strengthening through the use of the methods described in The Book requires funds. As The Book was published in March 2005, when DFID's LPP was coming to an end, no funds have been available for capacity strengthening with specific reference to The Book. Direct and Indirect Environmental Benefits: Generally speaking the outputs and outcomes of PLR are likely to be environmentally neutral, but a wide range of relationships is possible depending on the nature of the technology and the type of livestock. In the countries and systems likely to be targeted, processes of agricultural intensification generally involve more controlled grazing of livestock. Controlled/zero grazing usually reduces the negative effects of livestock on soil conservation, and enables a more targeted use of animal manure in soil improvement. The effects of controlled grazing on rangeland and cropland species bio-diversity may vary. Participation enables rich local knowledge on bio-diversity to be incorporated into any proposed changes in grazing management with a view to maintaining and improving bio-diversity. Adverse Environmental Impacts: As far as is known, none of the 10 case study projects in The Book has had any adverse environmental impacts. In principle, PLR could result in increases in herd sizes, which in turn could lead to increased pressure on pastures and possibly land degradation. The environmental risks (i.e. overgrazing) are higher where improvements in animal health are not accompanied by improvements in nutrition and where livestock are the main source of wealth, resulting in over-stocking where grazing of rangeland is the main livestock feed source. However, the PLR process can facilitate discussion of such issues among livestock-keepers and development of any steps required to avoid or minimise adverse environmental impacts. Coping with the Effects of Climate Change, or Risk from Natural Disasters: Climate change Climate change appears to manifest itself in various ways, varying from one region of the world to another. Across the full range of production systems affected by climate change it is difficult - and probably inappropriate - to make generalisations about whether, and to what extent, PLR outputs increase poor people's capacity to cope. There are many types of livestock, each well suited to some climatic situations and not to others. What can be said is that developing the capacity of poor people to identify and test technologies to address new constraints, including any arising from climate change, should enhance their general capacity to adapt and cope with change. Shocks and resilience In the semi-arid areas of the tropics, livestock are extremely important to livelihoods and coping strategies. The frequency and severity of extreme climatic events (droughts, floods and heavy rainfall) is likely to increase. A major dimension of people's resilience to such shocks is the amount of liquid assets they have available to cover the costs of coping with those shocks. Small livestock are an important element of household coping strategies in many developing countries, particularly in dryland regions. Thus, insofar as PLR increases people's smallstock assets, it should increase their resilience. In cases where animals are important for farm power, their health, survival and productivity are also key in promoting resilience. References Bosma, R.H., Roothaert , R.L., Ibrahim, 2001 Economic and social benefits of new forage technologies in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. CIAT Working Document No. 190. Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical, Los Banos, Philippines. Bosma, R.H., Roothaert, R.L., Asis, P., Saguinhon, J., Binh, L.H.,Yen, V.H., 2003. Financial and social benefits of new forage technologies in Mindanao, Philippines and Tuyen Quang, Vietnam. CIAT Working Document No. 191. Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical, Los Baņos, Philippines, pp. 92. Okuthe, O.S., Kuloba, K, Emongor, R.A., Ngotho R. N., Bukachi, S., Nyamwaro, S.O., Murila, G. and Wamwayi, H.M. (2002) National Agricultural Research Systems Experiences in the Use of Participatory Approaches to Animal Health Research in Kenya. Paper presented at the international conference Primary Animal Health Care in the 21st Century: Shaping the Policies, Rules and Institutions, 15th-18th October 2002, Mombasa. African Union's Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources, Nairobi. Relevant Research Projects,
with links to the
|
For relevant research projects, with links to further information Geographical regions included: China, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lao PDR, Mexico, Mozambique, Philippines, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam,  Target Audiences for this content:Livestock farmers, |
