Livestock farmer field school Allah Dad Khan

2. By :
Allah Dad Khan

3.  In 2001, the International Livestock Research Institute
(ILRI), with the support of the FAO and the Animal Health
Programme (AHP) of the UK’s Department for International
Development (DFID), adapted the FFS methodology to
livestock production systems.

4. 1.Learning by doing
 Adults do not change their behavior and
practices just because someone tells them what
to do or how to change.
 They learn better through experience than from
passive listening at lectures or demonstrations.
 Discovery-based learning

5. 2. Farmer-led learning activities
 Farmers, not the facilitator, decide what is relevant
to them and what they want the FFS to address.
 This ensures that the information is relevant and
tailored to their actual needs.
 The facilitator simply guides the farmers through
their learning process by creating participatory
exercises to provide farmers with new experiences.

6. 3. Learning from mistakes
 Behavioral change requires time and patience.
 Learning is an evolutionary process characterized by
free and open communication, confrontation,
acceptance, respect and the right to make mistakes.
 This last point is key as more is often learned from
mistakes than from successes.
 Each person’s experience of reality is unique.

7. 4. Learn how to learn
 Farmers are learning the necessary skills to
improve their ability to observe and analyze
their own problems and make conscious
decisions.
 They also learn how they can educate and
develop themselves further.

8. 5. Problem-posing/problem-solving
 Problems are presented as challenges, not
constraints.
 Farmer groups learn different analytical methods
to help them gain the ability to identify and solve
any problem they may encounter in the field.

9. 6. The farmer’s field is the learning ground
 The field is the main learning tool.
 All activities are organised around it. In the case of a
livestock FFS, both the animal(s) and the field are the main
learning tools.
 Farmers learn directly from what they observe, collect and
experience in their fields instead of text books, pictures or
other extension materials.
 Farmers also produce their own learning materials
(drawings, etc.) based on what they observe.
 The advantages of these home-made materials are that they
are consistent with local conditions, inexpensive to develop,
and owned by the farmers.

10. 7. Extension workers are facilitators, not teachers
 Extension workers are called facilitators.
 The facilitator contributes to the discussions and aims
to reach consensus on what actions need to be taken.
 Facilitators are trained in a formal Training of
Facilitators
(TOF) course developed by experienced LFFS Master
Trainers.
 Researchers and subject matter specialists are invited
to provide technical and methodological
backstopping support to an FFS and also learn to work
in a participatory
and consultative way with farmers.

11. 8. Unity is strength
 Empowerment through collective action is
essential. Farmers united in a group have more
power than individuals.
 Also, when recognized as an active member within
a group, the social role of individuals within a
community is enhanced.
 The combination of two or more minds is often
more successful than one mind on its own. The
LFFS expresses this as 1 + 1 = 3; i.e. one mind + one
mind creates a new, third mind.

12. 9. Every FFS is unique
 Learning topics within the FFS should be chosen
by the community.
 Training activities must be based on existing gaps
in the community’s knowledge and skills and
should also take into consideration its level of
understanding.
 Every group is different and has its own needs and
realities.
 As participants develop their own content, each
FFS is unique.

13. 10. Systematic training process
 All FFS follow the same systematic training process.
The key steps are observation, group discussion,
analysis, decision making and action planning.