The 'promoting Farmer Innovation' (PFI) approach seeks to build on technical initiatives - 'innovations' in the local context developed by farmers themselves in dry/marginal areas where the conventional approach of 'transfer of technology' from research to extension agents and then on to the farmers has so often failed.
The approach basically comprises identifying, validating and documenting local innovations/initiatives. Simple monitoring and evaluation systems are set up amongst those innovative farmers who are willing to co-operate. Through contact with researchers extra value is added to these techniques where possible. Farmer innovators are brought together to share ideas. Finally 'best-bet' technologies in other words those that are considered to be good enough to be shared are disseminated through farmer-to-farmer extension. This takes two forms. First farmers are brought to visit the innovators in their farms. Secondly farmer innovators are used as teachers/trainers to visit groups of farmers - including FAO's 'farmer field schools' in some cases. Only in this second form of extension is an allowance payable to the innovator. A ten-step field activity methodology has been developed.
At programme level there is capacity building of in-line extension and research staff, who are the main outside actors in the programme. In each of the countries the project has been implemented through a government ministry which partners various NGOs in the field. The principle and practice is not to create separate project enclaves but to work through existing personnel, sharing buildings and vehicles that are already operational in the area. A 'Programme development process' methodological framework shows how the ultimate goal of institutionalisation can be achieved. PFI's first phase completed in 2000 was financed by the Government of The Netherlands through UNDP and was active in kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
