Institutionalizing farming systems research and extension : Cornell University"s experience in Ecuador and the Philippines

This document briefly synthesizes the lessons learned from two FSR/E projects - the Philippines Farming Systems Project in Eastern Visayas and the Bean-Cowpea Collaborative Research Project in Ecuador - in which Cornell University was an active participant. Because of the occasional differences between the two projects, contrasting experiences and lessons are presented, true to the range and variability encompassed by FSR/E. Training issues and approaches are covered first, followed by discussions of interdiscipinarity and of methodological issues in research. Institutional and administrative concerns, while not central to FSR/E, do affect its workings, and these are considered in the penultimate section. The authors conclude that ultimately, the success of FSR/E will be measured by the extent to which Third World countries have adopted and institutionalized its three essential elements: interdisciplinarity, a holistic approach to the production system, and farmer participation. (Author abstract, modified)