The farmer field schools (FFS) approach was developed by FAO and its partners more than 25 years ago as an alternative to the dominant extension method, which did not work in situations with more complex and unexpected problems, such as pesticide-induced pest outbreaks.
In a typical FFS a group of 20-25 farmers meet regularly in a field and under the guidance of a trained facilitator. In sub-groups, they observe and compare two plots over the course of an entire crop year. One plot follows conventional local methods while the other is used to experiment with what might be considered 'best practice'.
They experiment and observe key elements of the agro-ecosystem, studying irrigation techniques for example. At the end of the meeting, they present their findings in a plenary session, followed by a discussion.