This is Rapid community assessment technique to assess the amount and distribution of crop diversity within farming communities, and widely used in various countries in on farm biodiversity management related projects.

1. Participatory Four cell analysis
For Understanding Local Crop Diversity
Rachana Devkota
EDRD 6000 Qualitative Research Methods
School of Environmental Design and Rural Development
University of Guelph, 2016

2. Four cell analysis (FCA)
 Participatory method to assess on-farm diversity
status
 Rapid community assessment technique to assess
the amount and distribution of crop diversity
within farming communities
Purpose
 To measure the abundance (richness) and
distribution (evenness) of local crop diversity
 To identify common, unique and rare/endangered
varieties or species
 To understand and document reasons why each
variety is in a dynamic state within a community
and to enhance knowledge for potential
intervention
Photo: Four cell analysis in Sri Lanka, 2010

3. Why Four Cell Analysis is needed?
 Farmers throughout the world have continued to maintain and manage substantial crop
diversity in agricultural production systems.
 Diverse crop varieties constitute a conspicuous source of variation and provide valuable
genes and characteristics for crop improvement.
 Understanding of amount and distribution of local crop diversity at the community level is
basic information required for managing agricultural biodiversity on-farm.
 Farmers possess an intricate understanding of the crops and crop varieties they grow and
they use distinct local names according to characteristics of varieties to identify diversity
changes over time and space, which is often not measured.
 Suitable participatory methodologies that help researchers and farmers to understand
distribution patterns of local crop diversity and reasons or such distribution are lacking
(Sthapit et. al., 2006).
 The Four Cell Analysis method is first developed by the in-situ project team (Bioversity
International, Ministry of Agriculture and Development and LI-BIRD) in Nepal in 2000.

4. When to use the Four Cell Analysis?
 To identify which species or varieties are found in the community and
which species or varieties are common, unique and rare.
 To identify the abundance, distribution and spread of the crop varieties in
terms of richness, evenness and divergence at community level.
 To document the key characteristics and reasons why crop species or
varieties are in a certain dynamic stage, regarding their abundance and
distribution within the community.
 To identify the potential interventions for the conservation and/or
promotion of a crop species or variety within a specific community.
 When repeated over time, it gives insight in the rate of loss of diversity in
that specific area.

5. How to do Four Cell Analysis?
 Identify 6-12 key informants with knowledge
of growing crop in the community for the
focus group discussion.
 Ask farmers to bring samples (seed/leaf/any
product) of each variety that they are
growing.
 Prepare a list of farmers’ varieties of selected
crops through discussion.
 Make a large cross on the
ground/paper/board and distinguish the
four categories or squares.
 The meaning of the four squares are
visualized by drawing different numbers of
houses and large or small fields.

6. How to do Four Cell Analysis?
 The following questions are asked to the participants to get information on varieties/crop
species (name, specific traits, origin)
• What varieties/crops are cultivated in large areas by many households?
• What varieties/crops are cultivated in large areas by few households?
• What varieties/crops are cultivated in small areas by many households?
• What varieties/crops are cultivated in small areas by few households?
 Ask for every variety/species, why it was placed in that specific cell? For example
• Why variety/species A is found only in small number of trees/area and used only by few
households?
• Which traits, uses or reasons are responsible for this current status?
• Which varieties/species are rare/unique and should be prioritized for conservation or
promotion?
• Which potential interventions could be initiated to conserve and/or promote these
varieties or species?

7. FCA Result analysis and community planning
 The participating group discusses the result.
 Varieties which fall into four different cells may have one of the following
rationales;
Many Households Few Households
Large area varieties grown for food security or for the
market or with multiple use values (common)
Varieties that are newly introduced or with
specific adaptations traits (such as cultivars
adapted to swampy lands, poor soil fertility,
drought, shade etc.) (Unique and vulnarable)
Small area Varieties cultivated for socio-cultural
(traditions, religious rituals, food culture)
purposes (Unique and vulnarable)
varieties with specific uses or limited use
value to particular families (rare and under
threat)

8. Germplasm enhancement, Participatory plant
breeding, Value addition, Market links,
Recognition, Awareness
Seed stored in Community seed
bank, can be grown in Diversity
blocks
On-farm conservation of the
seed/crop (Common)
Deployment to similar niches
for seed production
Figure: The four-cell analysis for community based on-farm conservation actions
 Identify common and rare types
of diversity within the community
and facilitate both
developmental as well as
conservation action plan (see
figure).
 For example: Discuss with
community how they wish to
maintain rare varieties. If nobody
wants to grow a variety then it
should be sent to ex situ
conservation.
FCA & Community
planning
Source: Sthapit et al., 2006

9. Outcome of using Participatory FCA
 Documentation of the key reasons why varieties are in a certain dynamic stage
 Empowering the farming communities by enabling self directed conservation and
development action plans
 Making farming communities aware of the threat of genetic erosion
 Identifying potential interventions within a community

10. References
 De Boef, W.S. and Thijssen, M.H. 2007. Participatory tools working with crops, varieties and seeds. A guide
for professionals applying participatory approaches in agrobiodiversity management, crop improvement
and seed sector development. Wageningen, Wageningen International, 83pp. DoI:
library.wur.nl/WebQuery/clc/1980206.
 Rana R.B, B. Sthapit, C. Garforth, A. Subedi and D. I. Jarvis (2005). Four-cell analysis as a decisionmaking tool
for conservation of agrobiodiversity on-farm. On-farm conservation of agricultural biodiversity in Nepal.
Volume I. Assessing the amount and distribution of genetic diversity on-farm. Proceedings of the Second
National Workshop, 25– 27 August 2004, Nagarkot, Nepal. Sthapit, B.R., Upadhyay, M.P., Shrestha, P.K. and
Jarvis, D.I. (eds.)
 Sthapit, B.R., Lamers, H., and Hegde, N. 2014. Four cell analysis: a participatory method to assess on-farm
diversity status. Available at http://tft.atbioversity.net/tiki-download_wiki_attachment.php?attId=83
 Sthapit B.R., P. Shrestha and M.P. Upadhyay (eds) 2006. On-farm Management of Agricultural Biodiversity
in Nepal: Good Practices. NARC/LI-BIRD/Bioversity International, Nepal.
http://www.bioversityinternational.org/uploads/tx_news/On_farm_management_of_agricultural_biodivesity_
in_Nepal_Good_Practices_revised_edition_2012_1222_.pdf

11. Thank you!