Implementing Farmer Field Schools is an investment and mostly it is the public sector that provides the necessary funds. Since public funds are scarce and thus compete over alternative ends, accountability has become a necessity. Impact assessment provides the necessary information to show administrators and decision makers in international donor organisations and national governments whether these investments were efficient or not. Impact assessment of FFS has proven to be complex because of methodological problems and a large diversity of impact parameters. Also, many of the past impact assessment studies have been conducted under the influence of different perspectives held by stakeholders on what constitutes impact. Another problem was the oftentimes-problematic databases that were used to conclude on the impact of FFS. Therefore, there was a need for a study that relied on a single, but in as much as possible, consistent database that would allow the conduction of a rigorous scientific analysis.

The papers in this book by Dr. Suwanna Praneetvatakul (et al.) make an attempt to move in this direction. All the analysis presented relies on a unique set of panel data collected over a period of over four years in five pilot projects on FFS in rice in Thailand. While the book does not claim to be a guideline on how to do impact assessment of FFS, it offers a good blend of analytical procedures covering the various aspects of impact. It is hoped that the book will help to rationalize the sometimes overly emotional debate on the pros and cons of Farmer Field Schools in IPM in developing countries.

The full version of the working paper is available in the FFSnet database. Download here.

Correct citation: Praneetvatakul, S., H. Waibel and L. Meenakanit, 2007. Farmer Field Schools in Thailand: History, Economics and Policy. A Publication of the Pesticide Policy Project, Special Issue Publication Series, No. 12, Hannover, January 2007. pp. 89.

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