Twenty-two technicians from the various government ministries, UN agencies and other organizations attended an awareness workshop, which introduced the Farm Field Schools School (FFS) approach.

The FFS approach is an innovative, participatory and interactive learning approach that emphasizes problem solving and discovery based learning. FFS aims to build farmers’ capacity to analyse their production systems, identify problems, test possible solutions, and eventually encourage the participants to adopt the practices most suitable to their farming systems.

Assistant FAO Representative to Vanuatu Mr. Graham Nimoho opened the workshop and then the members of the Project Unit briefly explain the current status of the Integrated Sustainable Land and Coastal Management (ISCLM) Project and focused mainly on explaining the Farm Field Schools approach and methodology, focusing on its importance and its implementation through the conscience and commitment of the country.

The importance of the initiative was demonstrated, such as the improvement of simple measures in agriculture, livestock, forestry, tourism, climate change, with a participatory and innovative approach demonstrated during 30 years of practice in more than 90 countries and with approximately 1 000 000 small farmers associated with this network.

This awareness session was aimed primarily at our partners in the implementation of the project, the Directors General, the Department Directors and the technicians and / or focal points that carry out participatory research and extension work.

The Integrated Sustainable Land and Coastal Management (ISCLM) Project, is implemented by the FAO with the national lead agency Department on Environmental Protection and Conservation. In component two of the project, the start-up of Farmer Field Schools appears as an outstanding activity.