1.1 Background
1.2 Results
1.3 Conclusions
1.4 Recommendations
The research explored in detail the sources and types of information accessed by grassroots farmers. Printed information about sustainable agriculture is a much neglected area. It is widely assumed that many grassroots farmers are non-literate and that print is an ineffective medium of communication with this target audience. What little printed information that is produced on agriculture is usually aimed at resource rich, commercial farmers.
This research sought to establish the viewpoints and priorities both of grassroots farmers in Uganda and Ghana and of organisations producing printed information in developing countries. The research comprised a postal survey of nearly 200 organisations, in-depth research with 75 autonomous farmer groups in Uganda and Ghana and an overview of 95 organisations sharing agricultural information in Uganda and Ghana.
Findings confirmed a considerable shortage of printed agricultural information that might prove of relevance to grassroots farmers. Even where such materials were available, distribution networks were inadequate. Few of the larger organisations visited, gave priority to meeting the needs of grassroots farmers for printed information. Instead their efforts were directed towards networking with similar organisations largely through newsletters. Those organisations who saw this area as a matter of concern tended to be smaller, poorly funded, national organisations where limited resources prevented them from producing more printed information. Key information sources for all organisations producing agricultural information were books and newsletters.
Recording health th rough the year - Dzigbodi Women's Group.
The research found that many farmer groups were well established, highly motivated and had clear objectives. Lack of access to useful agricultural information was usually a considerable source of frustration to members of the groups. Though literacy levels were often low, the desire for printed information was high, revealing that one or two individuals within a group were adequate for the whole group to access such information. Such access indeed is often most beneficial given the well organised nature of most groups and the priority given to sharing and discussing new ideas within meetings. Animators were noted within most successful ongoing groups; people with enthusiasm, motivation, openness to new ideas and the ability to inspire other members to take action. Animators usually had higher levels of literacy and often proved a key focus for the dissemination of new information, both from indigenous and from modern scientific knowledge.
Group support was revealed to be very important, providing a safety net allowing members to share, experiment and try out new ideas. Animators were often a major factor in the success of groups and enhanced the flow of new ideas in agriculture. Altruistic principles of caring and support proved an important motivation for most animators. Animators were commonly people who 'read for the group', indicating that group literacy rather than individual literacy provided access to printed information.
Clear linkages could be established between access to information and the development of empowerment within farmer groups. Good access to information was a contributory factor in the growth of confidence in group knowledge and understanding, which led some groups to share agricultural information outside the group and some to produce locally generated materials on agriculture.
Whole group visits to centres of excellence proved of considerable benefit, both in the rapid uptake of new ideas and in enhancing group relationships.
There is an enormous, un-met desire for printed agricultural information and a need to coordinate skills and resources in meeting this need.
The potential for supporting extension services, NGOs, mass media services, farmers, animators and literacy services in the generation and production of agricultural information in local languages, aimed at group usage is considerable. It would have benefits not only in sharing useful agricultural information, but also in enhancing literacy work by providing reading materials for newly literate people.
Tina Benlu and David Owusu, the Ghanaian research assistants, writing up the day's notes.
