The researcher-farmer interface in the rice-wheat system: moving from agricultural productivity to livelihoods

Gaunt, J. L., White, S. K., Best, J. R., Sutherland, A. J., Norrish, P., Robinson, E. J. Z. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4950-0183, Hossain, Z. and Palmer-Jones, R. J. (2003) The researcher-farmer interface in the rice-wheat system: moving from agricultural productivity to livelihoods. In: Ladha, J. K., Hill, J. E. and Buresh, R. J. (eds.) Improving the productivity and sustainability of rice-wheat systems: issues and impacts. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI., pp. 211-231. ISBN 9780891181507

Abstract/Summary

This chapter explores some of the implications of adopting a research approach that focuses on people and their livelihoods in the rice-wheat system of the Indo-Gangetic Plains. We draw on information from a study undertaken by the authors in Bangladesh and then consider the transferability of our findings to other situations. We conclude that if our research is to bridge the researcher-farmer interface, ongoing technical research must be supported by research that explores how institutional, policy, and communication strategies determine livelihood outcomes. The challenge that now faces researchers is to move beyond their involvement in participatory research to understand how to facilitate a process in which they provide information and products for others to test. Building capacity at various levels for openness in sharing information and products–seeing research as a public good for all–seems to be a prerequisite for more effective dissemination of the available information and technologies.