Abstract
Farmer Field Schools (FFS) can empower farmers through meetings at demonstration sites to promote agricultural production because of discovery learning. This study empirically investigated the FFS’s diffusion of knowledge and its impact on the smallholder farmer’s adaptation to climate change in Kiboga district characterised by low rainfall pattern. A cross-sectional research design was adopted where a total of 120 FFS-members and 60 non-FFS-members were randomly selected and interview using a validated household survey questionnaire. Data was analysed through descriptive statistics and Chi-test (ï£2) to the relationship between the FFS and the member’s adaptation to climate change. The findings revealed that drought, hailstorms, changes in onset and cessation of seasons were the main seasonal manifestations of climate change experienced in the district. The FFS majorly diffused adaptation knowledge and skills through establishment of comparative studies (28%); establishment of commercial enterprises (21%) and training of the members (18%); distribution of inputs to the FFS (10), examination of performances of distributed inputs (8%), FFS exchange-visits (6%), graduation of FFS members (4%), field days (3%) and integration of village savings into FFS (2%) throughout the seasonal calendar.The FFS-members aggressively adapted to the manifestations of climate change through the application of micro-irrigation, early planting, mulching, seed multiplication, the sale of livestock, construction of barns and planting of drought-tolerant crop and pasture varieties during the eventualities on their farmlands. The FFS significantly contributed to the adaptation to climate change (drought and shifts in seasons) by the smallholder farmers (p<0.05) throughout the season in the study area.The FFS enabled the farmers to validate and adopt new technologies in their fields that were a success. The FFS-members increased their innovations and use of local resources in adaptation to climate change. The FFS’s promotion of adaptation options to climate change improves the farmer’s seasonal food security status. Key words: Climate change, farmer field schools, smallholder farmers, diffusion.
Highlights
Climate change is a major issue in agricultural production that has destabilised rural smallholder farmers because of their dependence on nature for survival (Reidsma et al, 2010; Mubaya et al, 2012)
After their formation, the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) used a variety of mechanisms to diffuse knowledge and skills to the farmers such as the establishment of comparative studies, establishment of commercial enterprises, training of the members, distribution of inputs to the FFS, assessing the performances of inputs distributed, FFS exchange visits, graduation of FFS members, field days and integration of village savings into FFS
FFS can contribute to the adaptation responses to climate change by the smallholder farmers in both crop and livestock production
Summary
Climate change is a major issue in agricultural production that has destabilised rural smallholder farmers because of their dependence on nature for survival (Reidsma et al, 2010; Mubaya et al, 2012). In East Africa, the drylands are the most impacted areas with severe manifestations of climate change from season to season (Egeru et al, 2014). This study recognised FFS as a cost effective approach that improved the smallholder farmer’s adaptation responses to the seasonal manifestations of climate change under crop and livestock production. This is because the approach emphasises learning by practice and sharing of farm experiences. The FFS use discoverybased learning methods to improve the farmer’s agricultural knowledge and their capacity to make onfarm and off-farm decisions (Thiele et al, 2001; Quizon et al, 2001) believed to improve productivity (Palis, 2006; Mancini and Jiggins, 2008)
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