Innovations in Rural Extension : Case Studies from Bangladesh

by Paul Van Mele; Ahmad Salahuddin; Noel P. Magor

• ISBN13: 9780851990286
• ISBN10: 0851990282
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-08-18
• Publisher: Cab Intl

Summary

During the past five years, the PETRRA (Poverty Elimination Through Rice Research Assistance) project has explored the development of innovative extension mechanisms through a learning-by-doing process with multiple service providers. Partnerships linked government, non-government and private sectors as appropriate. Topics addressed by the project include seed production and distribution systems, crop and soil fertility management, postharvest technologies, mobile pumps, aromatic rice and integrated rick-duck farming. The methods used include women-led group extension, whole family approach, participatory video, Going Public and picture songs. This book examines these approaches to extension and assesses their potential for replicability and scaling-up. It includes four thematic sections with people-centered case studies and a conclusion with practical applications of the transaction cost theory. This highly original volume will appeal to a wide range of readers concerned with agricultural extension and rural development.

Table of Contents

Contributors	xi
List of tables	xvii
List of figures	xviii
List of boxes	xix
Acknowledgements	xxi
Part I: Introduction
New road map	3	(12)
Paul Van Mele
Documentation	3	(1)
Learning with Petrra	4	(2)
Pathways out of poverty	6	(2)
Changing directions	8	(1)
Structure of the book	8	(1)
References	9	(6)
Part II: Gender
The right to learn: women want more agricultural advice	15	(14)
Thelma Paris
Shaila Arifa Nabi
Ahmad Salahuddin
Noel P. Magor
Introduction	15	(1)
Incorporating gender concerns	16	(9)
Needs assessment and constraints analysis	16	(1)
Call for concept notes and the Petrra approach to gender	17	(1)
Enhancing men's and women's knowledge and skills	18	(1)
Testing and validating technologies with farmers	19	(1)
Testing different types of trainers and groups	20	(2)
Testing learning tools with women	22	(1)
What women learnt	23	(2)
Major lessons from working with women	25	(1)
Conclusion	26	(1)
References	27	(2)
Breaking down barriers: village women spread the word	29	(12)
Helen Latifun Nessa
Paul Van Mele
Family approach in extension	41	(8)
Harun-Ar-Rashid
Bringing science to life: video development for women-to-women extension	49	(14)
Paul Van Mele
A. K. M. Zakaria
Rina Nasrin
Basanti Chakroborty
MD. Mojaherul Haque
Josephine Rodgers
Part III: Learning with rural communities
Creative learning methods	63	(14)
Jeffery W. Bentley
Paul Van Mele
Introduction	63	(2)
Bidding and learning with Petrra	65	(2)
Petrra case studies	67	(4)
Watch and learn	68	(1)
Village soil fertility maps	69	(1)
Going public	69	(1)
Picture songs	70	(1)
New directions in farmer training	71	(3)
In each sub-project staff learnt something from farmers	71	(1)
Learning content: appropriate technologies	72	(1)
Methods: face-to-face and the media	72	(1)
Marrying methods to content	73	(1)
Mixing methods	73	(1)
Conclusion	74	(1)
References	75	(2)
Watch and learn: video education for appropriate technology	77	(12)
Paul Van Mele
A. K. M. Zakaria
Jeffery W. Bentley
Village soil fertility maps	89	(14)
Mohammad Abu Saleque
Harun-Ar-Rashid
Paul Van Mele
Jeffery W. Bentley
Going Public: a quick way to interact with communities	103	(12)
Paula Nash
Paul Van Mele
Picture songs	115	(12)
Jeffery W. Bentley
Mostafa Nuruzzaman
Qazi W. Nawaz
Rafiqul Haque
Part IV: Enterprise webs
The enterprise web	127	(16)
Noel P. Magor
Introduction	127	(1)
The enterprise web: a holistic tool	128	(4)
A generic example of an enterprise web	128	(2)
The enterprise web as an explanatory and micro-analytical tool	130	(2)
Selection and documentation of case studies	132	(4)
Integrated rice-duck production	134	(1)
Manufacturing and marketing mobile pumps	135	(1)
Producing, processing and marketing aromatic rice	136	(1)
Insights from the use of the enterprise web	136	(2)
Learning about process	136	(1)
In pro-poor extension social capital is critical	137	(1)
Introducing the concept of governance	137	(1)
Challenges for the enterprise web as a tool	138	(1)
Achieving rigor in visualising the enterprise web	138	(1)
Committing resources	138	(1)
Extension method costing	139	(1)
Unfreezing the culture to go solo	139	(1)
Conclusion	139	(1)
References	139	(4)
Integrated rice-duck: a new farming system for Bangladesh	143	(14)
Malik Anwar Khan
Gazi Jashim Uddin Ahmed
Noel P. Magor
Ahmad Salahuddin
Pump it up: developing a pro-poor mobile pump market	157	(12)
Badrul Alam
Noel P. Magor
Paul Van Mele
Adding flavour: a value chain approach for aromatic rice	169	(16)
M. Hassanullah
Abdus Salam
Salim Ahmed
Noel P. Magor
Part V: Pro-poor seed systems
Innovations in seed systems	185	(18)
Solveig Danielsen
Khairul Bashar
Mark Holderness
Introduction	185	(4)
The challenge	186	(1)
Historical context	186	(1)
Petrra case studies	187	(2)
Varieties and seed-based technologies	189	(1)
Rice biodiversity	189	(1)
Identifying appropriate technologies	190	(1)
Demand and farmer awareness	190	(3)
Recognising the value of good seed	191	(1)
Assuring timely supply of affordable seed	191	(1)
Farm-saved seed: scope for improvements	192	(1)
Matching seed and outlet markets - the long-term perspective	193	(1)
Quality assurance	193	(1)
Communication and partnerships	194	(2)
Maintaining the incentives	196	(3)
Farmers	196	(1)
NGOs	197	(1)
Private sector	198	(1)
Government institutions	198	(1)
Conclusion	199	(1)
References	200	(3)
More is more: validating rice varieties with NGOs and poor farmers	203	(6)
Musherraf Husain
Building a rice seed network	209	(12)
Khairul Bashar
Ahmad Salahuddin
Paul Van Mele
Farmseed: putting farmers at the heart of the seed system	221	(12)
Paul Van Mele
Grameen seed: Grameen experiments with a pro-poor seed business	233	(12)
Paul Van Mele
Ahmad Salahuddin
Abdul Jabbar
Innovating with federations: community institutions take the lead in seed marketing	245	(12)
Syed Samsuzzaman
Paul Van Mele
Part VI: Synthesis
People and pro-poor innovation systems	257	(40)
Paul Van Mele
Ahmad Salahuddin
Noel P. Magor
Extension, complexity and poverty	257	(1)
People matter	258	(6)
Extension policy and public sector	258	(2)
Donors and flexibility	260	(1)
Projects, service providers and potential champions	261	(2)
Reaching rural women: policy and reality	263	(1)
Transaction costs: bringing people into economics	264	(3)
Transaction costs in pro-poor service delivery	265	(2)
Vertical integration or strategic networks	267	(1)
Diversity of service providers	267	(6)
Multiple actors: competing or complementing?	268	(2)
Local government	270	(1)
Learning networks and forums	270	(3)
Multiple extension and learning methods	273	(11)
Transaction costs in receiving extension services	273	(1)
Learning from farmer field schools	274	(2)
Other methods: going to scale	276	(5)
Multiple learning tools	281	(3)
Innovation systems research	284	(1)
Unfinished business	284	(2)
References	286	(11)
Acronyms and abbreviations	297	(2)
Glossary of special terms	299	(1)
Administrative units in Bangladesh	300	(1)
Map of Bangladesh	300	(1)
Index	301