Assessing the Impact of Farmer Field Schools on Excess Fertilizer Use in China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna Kumar
2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Burger ◽  
◽  
Mary Fu ◽  
Kun Gu ◽  
Xiangping Jia ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esperanza Arnés ◽  
Carlos G. H. Díaz-Ambrona ◽  
Omar Marín-González ◽  
Marta Astier

Farmer field schools (FFSs) emerged in response to the gap left by the worldwide decline in agricultural extension services. With time, this methodology has been adapted to specific rural contexts to solve problems related to the sustainability of peasant-farming systems. In this study we draw upon empirical data regarding the peasant-farming system in the Nicaraguan highlands to evaluate whether FFSs have helped communities improve the sustainability of their systems and the food security of their residents using socioeconomic, environmental, and food and nutrition security (FNS) indicators. In order to appreciate the long-term impact, we studied three communities where FFSs were implemented eight, five, and three years ago, respectively, and we included participants and nonparticipants from each community. We found that FFSs have a gradual impact, as there are significant differences between participants and nonparticipants, and it is the community that first implemented FFSs that scores highest. The impact of FFSs is broad and long lasting for indicators related to participation, access to basic services, and conservation of natural resources. Finally, this paper provides evidence that FFSs have the potential to empower farmers; however, more attention needs to be paid to critical indicators like production costs and the use of external inputs in order to scale up their potential in the future.


2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gershon Feder ◽  
Rinku Murgai ◽  
Jaime B. Quizon

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 972
Author(s):  
Jinyang Cai ◽  
Fengxiang Ding ◽  
Yu Hong ◽  
Ruifa Hu

In recent decades, pigs and pork have been the central elements of Chinese agricultural systems, food security, and diet. China’s rapid income growth has induced a significant change in food consumption patterns, and hog production has received utmost attention from both, the Chinese government and the public. While the impact of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) on crop cultivation has been widely studied, few studies have examined the impact of FFS on hog production. This study uses data collected from 222 hog farmers in Beijing to examine the impact of FFS on the productivity of hog production, focusing on its three main indicators: feed conversion ratio and the mortality of sows and piglets. We found that farms that participated in FFS programs significantly improved the feed conversion ratio of hog production, particularly in small scale hog farms. On average, FFS reduced the feed conversion ratio for herd sizes of 1000, 500, and 200 by 6.8%, 10.7%, and 14.0%, respectively. We did not find evidence that farms that participated in FFS programs had a significant impact on minimizing the mortality of sows and piglets. This study suggests that the knowledge training model of the FFS program could also work in fields other than crop cultivation. Furthermore, we suggest that more attention could be paid to extension services diffusing knowledge of vaccination and disinfection in hog FFS programs.


Author(s):  
Diego Matsvange ◽  
Ruvimbo Sagonda ◽  
Munyaradzi Kaundikiza

Forest benefit analysis is vital in ensuring sustainable community-based natural resources management. Forest depletion and degradation are key issues in rural Zimbabwe and strategies to enhance sustainable forest management are continually sought. This study was carried out to assess the impact of forests on communities from Nyanga, Guruve and Zvimba districts of Zimbabwe. It is based on a Big Lottery Fund project implemented by Progressio-UK and Environment Africa. Itfocuses on identifying replicable community forest and landmanagement strategies and the level of benefits accruing to the community. Analysis of change was based on the Income and Food Security and Forest benefits, which also constitutes the tools used during the research. The study confirms the high rate of deforestation and the increased realisation by communities to initiate practical measures aimed at protecting and sustaining forest and land resources from which they derive economic and social benefits. The results highlight the value of community structures (Farmer Field Schools and Environmental Action Groups) as conduits for natural resource management. The interconnectivity among forests, agricultural systems and the integral role of people are recognised as key to climate change adaptation.Keywords: Forest benefits; sustainability,;livelihoods; farmer field schools


2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Tsiboe ◽  
Bruce L. Dixon ◽  
Lawton L. Nalley ◽  
Jennie S. Popp ◽  
Jeff Luckstead

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