Farm Radio International (FRI) supports African broadcasters to provide radio services that share knowledge with small-scale farmers, impacting over 20 million listeners since 2010. Using interactive radio strategies and ICT tools, FRI connects researchers, broadcasters, and farmers to promote agricultural practices and address market barriers. Their innovative approaches include various participatory radio formats and real-time feedback mechanisms to enhance agricultural extension services and reach one million users through ICT-based initiatives.

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Farm radio sharing knowledge, giving
voice: opportunities to scale research
Karen Hampson
Africa RISING Science for Impact Workshop
17-19 January 2017, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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“We support African broadcasters to
provide radio services that share
knowledge and amplify the voices of
small scale farmers, their families
and their communities.
OUR MISSION

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20 million listeners
provided with radio-based extension
services since 2010
8 offices in African countries
40+ development partnerships
since 2010

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ACHIEVING SCALE
FRI uses interactive radio strategies & ICT tools
to link researchers, broadcasters and farmers to achieve
impact at scale.
Radio can impact millions with actionable and relevant
information on innovations that have been proven to work
for farmers.

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1. Preferred language
2. Accessibility
3. Scale
4. Overcomes literacy
5. Oral tradition
6. Cost-effective
7. Interactive = results
Why Radio?

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-FRI has tested its Participatory Radio Campaign
methodology over 100 times across 8 countries.
-Key project elements: multi-stakeholder approach,
emphasis on broadcaster coaching and mentoring, in-
house and external monitoring for quality and
accuracy.
-All projects include pre-audience research and
outcome evaluations.
PROVEN RESULTS

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OUR RADIO APPROACHES
PARTICIPATORY RADIO CAMPAIGN (PRC)
A PRC is a focused series of up to 16 programs, tailored to promoting uptake of a
specific practice . It does this through four stages of episodes: introduction,
discussion, decision and implementation.
PARTICIPATORY RADIO SERIES (PRS)
A PRS is aimed at increasing knowledge around a particular topic, agricultural improvement or
health issue. It includes the voices of farmers to ensure the program is relevant to the knowledge
and attitudes of listeners.
REGULAR FARMER PROGRAM
A regular farmer program is an ongoing radio program geared to meet the information needs of
the listening audience. It builds a relationship between and among farmers, broadcasters and
extension services to share knowledge and amplify the voices of farmers.
RADIO MARKETPLACE (RMP)
An RMP is an ongoing radio program aimed at supporting farmers to secure the maximum value
from their harvest. These participatory programs address market barriers farmers may face and
discuss the basics of marketing: place, price, product and profit.

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OUR RADIO APPROACHES
REALITY RADIO
Reality radio is a ground-breaking radio program aimed at shifting attitudes and perspectives on
an issue. This format maximizes on entertainment value and often appeals to the younger
generation of listeners.
RADIO DRAMA
This entertaining radio feature can increase awareness of and shift attitudes towards a particular
issue. FRI has extensive experience in working with local African writers and production houses to
create entertaining dramas with high production value, while still targeting the content towards
local circumstances and cultural dynamics.
LISTENING POST
This short radio series serves to measure attitudes and opinions on specific questions in real-
time, allowing project stakeholders to plan mid-course corrections to development projects or
solicit unfiltered opinions from rural audiences.

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New Alliance ICT Extension Challenge
Fund Tanzania (USAID/IFAD)
Approach: Partnership with CABI to provide
ICT-based extension services to promote
uptake of SSTP technologies – mostly
improved seed varieties including maize,
common bean, cassava, Irish potato. Radio
combined with voice and SMS services by
mobile phone.

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Aim: ICT-based extension services will reach one million
users by project end (three years). 150,000 farmers (of
whom 40% are female) will report increased and consistent
use of one or more of the target technologies.
Outcome evaluation after one year implementation
showed:
-Uhuru FM has potential rural audience of working age of
over half a million (mapping exercise).
-Over 100,000 SMS on cassava production disseminated to
over 6500 farmers
-Nearly half of 240,000 listeners who heard one or more
episodes have started to use one of the promoted practices
-Approximately 71,000 farmers - who listened to one or
more episodes - have started to use two practices
promoted through Uhuru FM radio programs (estimated at)
-Nearly 10,000 farmers registered in the Esoko system (34%
of whom are women)

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ICT INNOVATION
-FRI integrates interactive mobile technologies into all of
its projects which enable two-way communication and
leads to a better impact on audiences at little to no cost
for the end user.
-The ICT innovations used in all of FRI’s projects enable
real-time feedback by listeners which can provide
valuable M&E data.
-Using radio and integrated ICTs to solicit real-time,
large-scale feedback on various topics. This can be used
to hold decision makers to account and can aid in mid-
term corrections for projects.

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ICT INNOVATION
FRI’s Uliza Platform: Through use of mobile phones, SMS,
voice messages, broadcasters and researchers can reach and
get feedback from listeners.

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COST-EFFECTIVE
SCALING
FRI’s impact projects can reach a farmer
with vital extension information for
pennies per listener.
FRI’s Participatory Radio Campaigns can
encourage listeners to adopt agricultural
practices for less than $1 USD per
farmer.

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THANK YOU
www.farmradio.org
khampson@farmradio.org