Introduction a l"approche recherche/developpement des systemes de production et a la methode de recherche en milieu paysan

This report describes the objectives of on-farm research, emphasizing its interdisciplinary nature, and describes its 5-stage process of: problem diagnosis; identification of possible solutions; on-farm testing, both researcher-managed and farmer-managed; evaluation of the acceptability of the technology within the entire farm household; and transfer of the technology through extension. Practical guidelines are offered for the selection of test sites and participating farmers, the design of the data collection instrument and supervision of data collection, and data analysis. A final section presents four ideas which together reinforce the paper"s theme that the multi-faceted aspects of a farmer"s situation (i.e., social, economic, and environmental) require a comprehensive agricultural research methodology. A 21-item (1976-85) bibliography of French and English titles is appended.