Lessons learned
From the Farmer Field School on Land and Water management, some policy recommendations are presented in the table below:
Issue | Recommendations | Responsible bodies |
Limited support for adoption and investment in soil and water conservation measures/initiatives | Support investment in and adoption of soil fertility measures and water management (including water harvesting and soil moisture management) | Extension service, ministry of agriculture, agricultural research agency, environmental agency, development partners |
Integration of land and water management aspects in short-term, commodity-driven strategy | Integration of short-term strategy with long-term natural resources management strategy | Extension service |
Limited knowledge by local leaders of the importance of land and water management issues and their implications to livelihoods | Sensitize local leaders to incorporate land and water management in district action plans with an appropriate budget | Local governments, NGOs |
Lack of supportive ordinances and by-laws to enforce sustainable land and water management | Develop enabling legislation and promote practical ordinances and by-laws | Parliament, extension service, ministries of agriculture and environment, local governments |
Limited support and investment to scale up soil/water management and rainwater harvesting | Invest in and support widespread efforts for soil/water management and rainwater harvesting at small and large scales | Ministries of finance and agriculture, development partners |
Lack of vocational schools for training in agriculture and land and water management | Establish vocational institutions, backed by life schools to transfer skills to young people and those affected by HIV/AIDS | Ministries of education and health, NGOs working on HIV/AIDS |
Integration of agriculture, land and water management in primary education curriculum | Include agriculture, land and water management in primary education curriculum through junior farmer field schools | Ministry of education |
Lack of incentives for long-term investment in land and water management | Identify type and provide incentives for farmers for long-term investments in land and water management | Ministries of finance and agriculture |
Farmer field school sustainability | Build long-term resilience for sustainability of farmer field schools, including: Promote farmer field schools as an initiative to empower farmers; Link to policy at local, district and national levels institutions, private sector; Preach practical messages continuously at all levels; Strengthen links among partners; Seek ways to reduce cost of farm power and inputs for farmers; Implement strategy targeted to different types of farmers (hand power, animal power, and motorized). Integrate conservation agriculture; Conduct impact assessments to generate evidence needed to convince donors and policymakers | Farmers, ministries of agriculture and environment, NGOs, donors, agricultural research agency, national and international research and development institutions, local governments, extension service, academic institutions, private sector |
Outdated guidelines for soil and water conservation | Review guidelines | Ministry of agriculture |
Lack of district farm planning units | Establish and train farm planning units in each district and provide adequate budgets | Ministries of agriculture and finance |
Limited access by extension and farmers to updated and targeted recommendations for fertilizer application | Provide updated and targeted recommendations for fertilizer rates and integrated nutrient management practices | Agricultural research agency |
Quality assurance of farmer field schools | Ensure quality control of farmer field schools is maintained when scaling up | Ministry of agriculture, agricultural research agency |
Implementation and enforcement of policies (on land, land use and soils), and harmonization with other polices (forestry, wetlands, water) | Establish mechanisms for training, implementation, enforcement and harmonization of policies | Ministries of environment and agriculture, environmental agency |
Scaling up of land and water management farmer field schools to other districts | Establish mechanisms and tools for expanding process to other districts | Ministries of agriculture and finance |
Limited technical and financial support to various policymaking levels | Provide technical support and funding for various policymaking levels to facilitate implementation | Environmental agency, ministries of agriculture and environment |
Limited knowledge and information about the farmer field school approach and its application among NGOs and private sector service providers | Sensitize NGOs and private service providers to use the farmer field school approach in their community development interventions | NGOs which have piloted the approach, local governments, other NGOs, private sector service providers |
Farmer group formation and sustainability | Facilitate group formation and sustainability through business links to appropriate microfinance institutions and markets | Extension service, NGOs, private sector |