Enhancing effectiveness of development programmes for small farmers: Elements of an FAO training approach

Development projects focused on the small farmer do not appear to be operating effectively in most places. Expressing its concern at the poor performance of agricultural and rural development administration, especially at the field level, the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (WCARRD), organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome in July 1979, recommended major adaptations in the institutions of governmental decision-making and implementation so that these acquire a capability to secure involvement of small farmers in programmes desitned to promote their development. In a series of regional expert consultations on Improving the Organization and Administration of Agricultural Development held subsequently, participants unequivocally underlined the need for the development of a cadre of administrators trained to cope with the emerging problems of agricultural development, especially those of the small farm sector. Taking into consideration the consensus that the agricultural development process has grown highly complex and that those responsible for administration need to have a better understanding of their challenging tasks. FAO has attempted to develop a programme for the training of agricultural administrators. The broad features of this innovative programme, and the methodology of putting it into operation involving the training of trainers as a very first step, are highlighted in this paper.