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The Plant
is the Teacher
Farmer Field Schools in Rwanda

A farmer
becomes a
facilitator!
Farmer
Field
School

But, the plant is the teacher…

But, the plant is the teacher…

But, the plant is the teacher…

But, the plant is the teacher…

Observe & Record
Analyse
Draw, Discuss & Decide
Act
Discovery-based Learning

Who is eating who?

different varieties

How do you train FFS
Facilitators

Season long training
Provided by specialized FFS Master Trainers
60 to 90 days away from home (spread in the season)
Technical skills + Facitation skills + Group Building skills
Land Preparation Planting Follow up the growth Harvest

Farmers are empowered
to make their own decisions.
Farmers find solutions
for their own problems.
Farmers are prepared
for the challenges
of the future.

FFS Members

Proven impact of FFS
+250%
IRISH POTATO

very satisfied with the skills
and attitute of the Facilitator98%
Data from Mid Season assessment 2015B with 2924 FFS groups
What do farmers say?
70%
apply what they have
learned in their own farm
of farmers report that farm revenue has
increased by at least 50%73%
76% of FFS farmers report that productivity has
increased by at least 50%

applied Good
Agricultural
Practices (GAP)
73%

+46%
Productivity

Estimated value
of additional
produce by FFS
Farmers in 2015
€ 20,000,000

38%
29%
33%
to belong to a strong group where
members can help each other
to have more food
to be able to sell more

of the groups older than 3 year
still has an experimental plot
FFS Groups are sustainable!
86%

71%
22%
of FFS groups have an extra
income generating activity for the group
of FFS groups have internal
savings (=social protection)

53% women

Gender training and HIV
awareness as special topics

FFS Facilitator
GROUP 1
GROUP 3
GROUP 2
GROUP 4,5,6,7,….

FFS Facilitator Graduation

FFS Facilitator’s Cooperative

Service contract

3 Party Performance Contract
FFS Fac
Cooperativ
e
The District RAB

1
2
h
From
a ‘project’
to a ‘National
Approach!’

FFS Farmers
2009 - 2011 25,000
1%
2011 - 2016 200,000
11%
Target
2020 1,690,000
90%

Strategybehind the scaling up?

1
2
Repeat
what
Works !
FFS is not new…
We simply
respected all
success factor
and made them
stronger

If an FFS group
was a Duck

8,500 FFS groups

Target
75,000
FFS groups

Innovate !
FFS Facilitators are
always farmers
Innovate !
Farmer as
Facilitator
FFS
Facilitators
become
professional
service
providers

FFS Facilitators
cooperatives sign
Performance
contracts
(Imihigo) with the
government
Localize !

73
behind the strategy?

To get Results
(Effectiveness)
More value for money
(Efficiency)
Home grown solution
(Sustainability)

1
2
Scale
ScaleScale
ScaleScale
Scale
Scale
Scale
Scale
ScaleWe would like to see more of this
(Instead of embracing complexity)

This was HARDtalk, live from Brussels
with Dominique Morel & Raf Somers

Thank You for Watching
Republic of Rwanda
Ministry of Agriculture
and Animal Resources