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Summary: The authors used a longitudinal impact evaluation with quasi-experimental methods to provide evidence on economic and production impact of a farmer field school (FFS) project in East Africa. FFSs were shown to have positive impact on production and income among women, low-literacy, and medium land size farmers. Participation in FFS increased income by 61%. Participation in FFS improved agricultural income and crop productivity overall. This implies that farmer field schools are a useful approach to increase production and income of small-scale farmers in East Africa, and that the approach can be used to target women and producers with limited literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The study explores empowerment and well-being related outcomes of Farmer Field Schools (FFS), an extension approach that has gained popularity with agriculture development programs in many African countries. This is done by examining the empirical relationships between FFS participation and increased well-being; as well as FFS participation and empowerment; and finally between empowerment and enhanced well-being. Data analysis from the two thousand household questionnaires show a relationship between these aspects, despite contextual differences in the three countries studied. It is thereby argued that there could be scope to talk about an empowerment route to well-being. The paper further suggests that the most significant impact of FFS could be viewed in terms of building the capacity of local people to make choices and make decisions that ultimately lead to increased uptake of agricultural innovations, access to services, and market access as well as collective action. A major conclusion of the study is that agricultural development programs should focus more on processes of empowering farmers as opposed to technical solutions that characterize most programs, in order to create an appropriate mix of technological and social advancement for a development process that is sustainable in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]