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Participatory Extension Experiences from Latin America

John PreissingCountry Representative

FAO

June 4, 2015MEAS Symposium

Session: Strengthening the Role of F2FE and

Farmer Organizations in Extension

Participatory Extension in LA

Historical

– Paolo Freire, Roland Bunch, others– Decline of publicly funded extension in 80s & 90s– Fin. & philosophical drivers to PTARE• NGO experiences in the region• Farmer Field School experiences• Newer goals of food security, decentralization, small

farmer, CC

Participatory Extension Study

Coverage - Organization/Governance – Financing - Participatory Methods Used - Capacity Building - Institutional Relations - Local

Promoter Activities - Effects and Impacts

Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru & Bolivia cases

Findings

Production Increases Lower Cost Deliver More Culturally & Language

appropriate Reaching Scale Holistic & Biodiversity Focus Democratic & Decentralized

& Horizontal Reaching more Women

But ….. Financial Sustainability Linkages w Research Weak Difficulties for Promoters

beyond their Community Difficulties for Promoters in

their Community Weak Institutional Ties Data, data, data

Alright …..

Policy Recomendations

Domestic Funding - Public & Private

Continual Training More Technical &

Material Resources Greater Institutional

Ties Link to Broader

Development Goals• Improved Data

Indicators Bolivia Perú Nicaragua Guatemala

Coverage 4 Provinces

43 Districts

85 Municipalities

2 Departments

Families 575 90,000 23, 000 564

Promotores 95 2,700 2,500 139

Families/Promotor 6 33 9 4

Years as Promoter 8 20 24 5

Female Promoters 26% % % 31%

Female Producers % % % %

USD Costs/Year 1,257* 90 960

Findings