| Sumario: | Sweet potato production in Central Luzon, Philippines has been plagued by a virus
disease complex locally known as “camote kulot.” Aside from causing more than 50%
reduction in yield, the disease was also responsible for the loss of an important variety
with good and well-accepted agronomic characteristics. Interagency efforts resulted in a
technology in the production of clean planting materials through thermotheraphy and
meristem culture. A sweetpotato variety has been cleaned up, reproduced and multiplied
for farmers use.
CIP-UPWARD supported the use of participatory R&D approaches to adapt CPM in
sweetpotato-associated livelihood systems in the region. The program implemented
livelihood systems analysis, farmer field schools and farmer participatory researches.
Several technical and socio-economic evaluation activities were also conducted to
determine the contribution of these projects and CPM in livelihood systems.
The results indicated the role of participatory approaches in facilitating project outputs
and outcomes. PR&D approaches intensify awareness of research and development
institutions about “kulot” and the potential of CPM in solving it leading to their provision
of resources and other support to its solution. CPM were produced and used by 117
farmers in 19 villages of the provinces of Tarlac and Bataan. Local government units
provided their own resources to so that their constituents will benefit from the
technology. They build nethouses, finance FFS and mobilize communities leading to
establishment of enterprises out of CPM technology. Unfortunately, there are a number of
technical, socio-economic and policy issues that limits more widespread use of CPM and
improvements in contributions of sweetpotato to the livelihood systems of households in
the region.
The paper also looks at the various elements of participatory research and development,
how they have been operationalized within the project context and how they have
contributed to achieving project outcomes and impacts. These elements evolved from
UPWARD’s own field-based experiences and from efforts by other organizations to
develop a wide range of participatory approaches. The paper explores the use of the
following elements - problem-based agenda, impact-driven objectives, field-based action,
user responsiveness, household orientation, livelihood systems framework, integration of
scientific and local knowledge, interdisciplinary mode and inter-institutional partnerships,
as touchstones for assessing PR&D processes.
|
|---|