Farmer Participation in Research: Implications for Agricultural Development

Abstract

"Recently, there has been a great deal of attention devoted to the notion of farmer participation in agricultural research. In this connection, there has been a challenge to the conventional research model which conceives of the farmer as a passive partner so far as the identification of the problem, the conduct of the research and the development of the solution is concerned. This paper reviews a number of models suggested for agricultural research, noting the strengths and weaknesses of the models. Based on the author's experiences and other case studies, the implications of farmer participation in the development and dissemination of agricultural technologies are examined."