Rome, 06 April 2023– The brainstorming on the Future of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for Sustainable Agrifood Systemstook place virtuallywith key pioneers in the development and global scaling of the FFS approach, i.e, Peter Kenmore, Kevin Gallagher, Stephen Sherwood, Jan Willem Ketelaar, Dada Abubakar, James Okoth, Alfredo Impiglia, Alberta Mascaretti, Deborah Duveskog, Shi Shangbai, MakhfousseSarr, Oscar Ortiz. Together with these 12 key FFS pioneers, the Global FFS Platform teamparticipated in the meeting to share challenges and innovations, brainstorm on the future of FFS and strengthen networking among members of the global FFS community. Jingyuan Xia, Director of Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), moderated the meeting.

Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General, opened the meeting and highlighted the potential of the FFS approach, as well as the importance of the new FAO-wide Value-Added Impact Area (VAIA) on Farmers as Agricultural Innovators for Resilient Agro-Ecosystems (FAIRE).She shared her enthusiasmto have the opportunityto learn from participants’ experience and to exchange on the potentials of the FFS approach in a rapidly changing context and crisis in the agrifood system. 

Anne-Sophie Poisot, Global FFS Platform Coordinator, presented the global achievements on FFS and challenges over the years. FFS, whichemerged to focus on integrated pest management in Indonesia in the 1990’s, are now a widely used approach, adapted to various contexts and training of over 20 million farmers in more than 90 countries in 30 years. The success of this approach has called for the creation of the Global FFS Platform in 2018, hosted by FAO, to maintain the quality of FFSand to facilitate the global community of practice. Today, with rapidly changing environments, it has become important to brainstorm on how FFS can continue to support sustainable agrifood systems. 

After the presentation, each FFS pioneer took the floor to provide their insights and reflections on the future of FFS. Participants agreed that FFS have proven their efficacy and success over time: they are still today fit for purpose and arecontinuing to innovate with farmers. Producers and practitioners continue to adapt FFS to new topics and contexts (refugees, agroecology, urban agriculture etc.) making sure to maintain the quality and core principles of the approach. 

FFS pioneers also mentioned the importance to strengthen mechanisms to support farmers’ deep learning on ecology and ecosystem services. Given the rapidly changing environment and climate change, it has become more relevant than ever to transform food systems through FFS. 

The work of the Global FFS Platform was recognized, highlighting the importance of a strong efficient FAO platform to strengthen networks, support regions and countries, and to ensure quality knowledge sharing. As such, it would be important to better define the role of FAO and its position in the years ahead. 

In her closing remarks, Beth Bechdol converged with FFS pioneers stating that the focus should be to create the best enabling environment to ensure that FFS continue doing what it has so successfully done in many parts of the world. She encouraged all FFS pioneers to be actively engaged with and positively contributed to the FAO’s initiative on the reimagination and modernization of FFS for sustainableagrifood systems.