Farmer field schools (FFS) equip millions of small farmers with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the "produce more with less" paradigm supported by FAO and to improve living conditions through sustainable intensification. A regional workshop was held in Dakar on the FFS approach in West and Central Africa to foster the development of a regional network of specialists consisting of FAO and local players, and to agree on a common understanding of the FFS method.

Field schools that train farmers in alternative methods of pest control have succeeded in nearly eliminating the use of toxic pesticides by a community of cotton growers in Mali, according to a new FAO study published today by the London-based Royal Society...

FAO is partnering with Oregon State University (OSU) to deploy new technology in West Africa for monitoring pesticides in surface and ground waters. The “passive sampling device” (PSD) uses an artificial membrane suspended within a stainless steel frame and submerged in surface waters for a chosen duration (a day to a month)...

West African farmers have succeeded in cutting the use of toxic pesticides, increasing yields and incomes and diversifying farming systems as a result of an international project promoting sustainable farming practices. Around 100 000 farmers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal are participating in a community-driven training programme (West African Regional Integrated Production and Pest Management (IPPM) Programme) executed by FAO.

The adoption of sustainable farming practices allows small farmers of cotton in West Africa to increase their yields and incomes, reduce their use of toxic pesticides and protect the environment and their health.