Case studies on Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

IPM Farmer Field Schools: A synthesis of 25 impact evaluations

IPM Farmer Field Schools were started in 1989 in Indonesia to reduce farmer reliance on pesticides in rice. Policy-makers and donors were impressed with the results and the program rapidly expanded. This synthesis presents a review of twenty-five available impact studies on the IPM Farmer Field School. The characteristics and findings of each study are presented in a standard format summary sheet. The report starts with a general discussion of methodological aspects of impact assessment. It then provides a summary overview of the results of the twenty-five data sources, from FAO and other agencies and organizations, followed by a discussion of these results.

Ten Years of IPM Training in Asia - From Farmer Field School to Community IPM

Although the farsighted pioneers of the IPM programme wrote history, the actual account of their achievements still remained to be put on paper. The issuance of this FAO publication fills this gap. The farmer field schools and ensuing community IPM strategies have now come of age and express themselves by ramifications into new, sometimes unexpected, directions, like the recent emergence in Cambodia of 'farmer life schools', which focus on mobilizing and empowering rural communities in their struggle against HIV/AIDS. This innovative approach was inspired by the IPM farmer field schools. For such efforts to be successful, a solid grasp of community-based rural development and the role of farmer field schools is needed.

The West African Regional Integrated Production and Pest Management (IPPM) Programme

Sustainable intensification requires informed decisions to be made locally by individuals and by groups. A diversity of community-based education approaches has evolved over the past 20 years that specifically address these challenges in smallholder agricultural systems. Some of these models have been successfully tested over large scales and a wide range of environments. This case study reports on how the Farmer Field School (FFS) model has been used in the context of the programme to catalyze important changes among stakeholders in the savannah zones of West Africa.

Kaligondang: A Case History of an IPM Sub-district (Central Java, Indonesia)

This case consists of four parts. Part Two examines IPM activities that have formed the ‘menu’ of the National IPM Program in Kaligondang Sub-district. Part Three presents descriptions of IPM activities being conducted by farmers in the sub-district. Part Four will present an analysis of the information presented about Kaligondang Sub-district. Part Two and Part Three consist of general descriptions of activities which include ‘thumbnail cases’ providing examples of the activities in the sub-district. These thumbnail cases present field data that will be used for analytical purposes.

Gender and IPM in Nepal

The National IPM Programme in Nepal is committed to provide women and men equal acces to their training. The Programme was focused at implementing its activities on a gender equal basis. That this is not easy and straightforward is an experience we gained during the three year implementation of the programme. In this report we like to share these experiences, reveal the problems we are facing, the mistakes we have made. However, we also want to show our good intentions and the progress we have reached so far.

Social Dimensions of Integrated Production and Pest Management - A Case Study in Mali

The central question of our study has been: what is the social impact of the field schools, and of IPM? There are two main aspects to consider when studying the social impact of IPM. Most attention has focused on the yield increases and reduction in production costs resulting from IPM. This narrower economic perspective, however, has neglected certain other benefits emanating from the approach. For example, both farmers and extensionists indicate that once field schools have started meeting regularly, addressing a wide range of issues, farmers’ attitudes and competencies change.

Farmer Field Research: An analysis of Experiences in Indonesia

The Indonesia Government learned quickly from the problems brought about by the transfer of technology. Rice production had been rising steadily along with the use of fertilizers and insecticides, but the correlation with the latter had been deceptive. First, the Government removed insecticides from the production equation through a gradual removal of insecticide subsidies and a ban of broad-spectrum chemicals from use in rice production. Second, new methods were embraced for the education of farmers on rice ecology to enable local decision-making on crop health management.

Curriculum Development for Plant Pest Management in Asia-Pacific

The papers presented in the Expert Consultation contained invaluable information and experiences pertaining to the development of plant pest management in the region. They include important aspects, such as, the origin and historical development of the curriculum, current status and the future plans. Weaknesses and constraints in the curriculum development were highlighted and suggestions for overcoming them made. The Expert Consultation addressed many issues arising from the ensuring discussions and made a number of specific and general recommendations for follow up, including proposing the establishment of the “Asia-Pacific Working Group on Plant Pest Management Curriculum Development”.