rather than only in the testing of technologies
Participatory Research
Agricultural Research has been traditionally a linear process between scientists and the end users (generally the farmers) at the opposite ends. The scientists produced innovations that farmers were expected to use to their benefits. In between the two a link such as the extension service has the responsibility of transferring the innovations from the scientists to the farmers. The process has been traditionally and in the majority of cases unidirectional, or in other words, supply-driven.
It is now increasingly recognized that a demand-driven process, where the end users participate in the design and implementation, rather than in just the final testing of any new technology, can better serve the rural communities, particularly those members of the community who have traditionally been at a disadvantage such as rural women. Furthermore, participatory research leads to the empowerment of rural communities through the recognition of their 'indigenous' or 'traditional' knowledge and the awareness that they can contribute to their own development.
Many of the problems in rural development where agriculture is a main driving force are complex involving contrasting and often competing objectives of different members of the community, local and regional authorities. Thus a traditional approach to research often misses out these important interactions that determine the outcome of any intervention. To accommodate this, it is increasingly recognized that users' participation is a more efficient and more effective way of conducting agricultural research. This is a highly dynamic process because the users are capable continuously to adjust the objectives and the methodologies to make them fit the newly emerging needs.
