The Future of Farmer Field Schools for Sustainable Agri-food Systems in the NENA Region

Sustainable food, agriculture, and rural development form the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and one key to achieving that agenda will be an approach that empowers rural communities as change agents. While communities confront increasing challenges related to food security, pressure on natural resources, and climate change, there is a need to improve farmer participation in decision-making and to promote context-specific and bottom-up solutions to accelerate the progress of communities toward more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient production, distribution, and consumption patterns. Thus, Farmer Field Schools (FFS) can be a great tool to accomplish just that. Since the 1990s, the FFS has been used as a tool in rural development to strengthen farmers as stakeholders rather than beneficiaries in a sustainable, participatory, and experiential way.