Soil Doctor Programme

Lucrezia Caon, GSP Secretariat

Origins of the programme

1992 (start of the initiative)

- First mission: provide technologies and recommendation for soil improvement and conservation practices to create sustainable agriculture

- When people become an increasing means for most development activities until present: partnership approach for resource management

Who are the Soil Doctors?

- At the beginning: LDD staff (Soil Doctors)- But then…because of limited staff…a certain number of selected farmers have been recruited to

work in partnership with the LDD’s staff. We start talking about Volunteer Soil Doctors

Collaborators between farmers in their own villages and the LDD’s staff:

- Knowledge from LDD to the farmers- Feedback, needs, problems and queries from farmers to LDD

Mission of the programme

Assist farmers to obtain better understanding and practice soil conservation and sustainable

soil and land management. Five basic missions under commitment are:

- Carry out PUBLIC ACTIVITIES: making announcements, delivering messages to

farmers, inviting farmers to participate in observation, study tour, workshop and others

- Being SERVICE CENTERS FOR INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY

TRANSFER especially through demonstration farms

- GIVE BASIC RECOMMENDATION and answer to possible questions they may

receive from farmers

- DISTRIBUTE TO FARMERS AGRICULTURAL MATERIALS provided by

LDD (lime, fertilizer, seeds, etc.)

- HELP FARMERS TO PRACTICE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: know the

type of crop to grow and the cropping suitability of the land

Training from LDD

Why is the project interesting for Asia and other regions?

Concept of farmers training other

farmers

The Soil Doctor programme is part of the global implementation plan for Pillar 2

Soil Doctor Programme- The successful case of Thailand -

Name a speaker, LDD

Who can become a Soil Doctor? Selection criteria:

- Own the land

- Be in good health

- At least 20 years old

- Willing to work

- Keen on land development activities

- Share with others the agricultural inputs provided by LDD

NOTE:

Reasons for joining the programme:

Health problem related to agrochemicals application, reduce costs and

increase the yield (income)

Organization of the Soil Doctors: it depends on the organization of the territory

Province

District VolunteerSoil Doctor

Criteria to pass from a level to the other:

- Be strong in networking

- Be proactive in helping others

- Level of knowledge and ability in transferring it

- IT knowledge is a plus

- Education is a plus

NOTE:

A position is usually made available because of death,

resignation, deposition because of incapability in attending

duties

Province

District

Sub-District

Village

Classes/trainings

From LDD to Volunteer Soil Doctors

- Basics of teaching- Mainly practical with 2-3 hours theory in the morning- Learn by doing approach- Booklet, brochures, posters and presentations.- Site visiting for District and Provincial Soil Doctors.

From Volunteer Soil Doctors to other farmers in the network:

- 1 hour theory with the material made available by LDD- Preparation of posters and presentations- Learn by doing approach- Discussion and brainstorming at the village, sub-district and district meetings

SELECTION OF THE TOPIC:

- Interests of the government

- Needs of the farmers

How to implement the Soil Doctor Programme in Asia

& other regions

Lucrezia Caon, GSP Secretariat

Development of a Soil Doctors Toolbox:

IT SHOULD BE EASY TO USE EVERYWHERE, NO MATTER THE

LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND THE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY

- 1 booklet, brochures and posters prepared following the Thai example (input material from

other countries is welcome)

• Topics to be selected. Recommendations to the preferred level of teaching will

accompany each topic.

• Focus on step-by-step graphic representations

- Preparation of technical schedules for running the practical classes (Soil Doctors to use them

when teaching other farmers)

- Soil testing kit for preliminary soil analysis

- Soil maps (especially on soil fertility)

- PREPARATORY PHASE -

• Advertise the programme in order to convince countries to join it.

Government support is required! Why?

- Make contact with farmers and operate at the country level

- Financial support (also link to education programmes and programmes

on rural and agricultural development)

- Continuity of the programme

- PREPARATORY PHASE -

• Establish a mechanism for collecting and sharing farmers’ inputs and technological

innovations within the same country and between countries in the region (potentially

the world): importance of local knowledge and adaptation capacity

Establishment of an award

• Preparation of a guidelines for countries to use during implementation (e.g. identify

criteria for upscaling Soil Doctors when launching the programme; identify criteria

for reviewing Soil Doctors’ activities and performance, etc.)

1. Identify who will give the trainings: which institutions/governmental office?

2. Contact farmers (use of an established network)

3. Provide a basic course on the programme to interested farmers

4. See which farmers are still interested in joining the programme after the training

5. Train the Soil Doctors and upscale them to the different levels based on the

organization of the territory (e.g. village, sub-district, district and province)

6. Improve the Programme at the country level based on local realities and knowledge

(inputs and technology sharing between the Soil Doctors and the government/the

Programme)

- IMPLEMENTATION AT THE COUNTRY LEVEL -

Thanks for your attention