Socio-cultural effects on the farming systems research and development approach

Abstract Improving the lot of small-scale farmers in developing countries is receiving considerable attention from national and international agencies world wide. Approaches to research and development that have the small-scale farm in mind have been improved over the last decade, to the extent that it is now possible to review the major lessons for the advancement of methodologies in what is known as farming systems research and development (FSR&D). This paper describes FSR&D as a concept and a process, the presumptions underlying the FSR&D approach and a basis for seeing FSR&D as a form of technology with its own cultural attributes, i.e. values, beliefs, expectations and rules of behavior. Key areas are identified where FSR&D differs from more traditional research and development (R&D) work in agriculture. Then key points are explored where the inherent cultural attributes of FSR&D may be in conflict with the culture of the host country where an FSR&D team intends to operate. In conclusion, suggestions are made as to what a team might do to adjust FSR&D methodologies to be compatible with the host culture.