National Department of Agriculture Advances Farmer Field School Approach to Strengthen South African Agriculture

The National Department of Agriculture is bringing together agricultural stakeholders to strengthen the Farmer Field School (FFS) approach in South Africa, with the aim of putting practical learning at the centre of farmer support. The department is hosting the Farmer Field School Inception Meeting on Institutionalising the Farmer Field School Approach in South Africa over two days, from 26 to 27 August 2026. The meeting brings together the department, provincial departments of agriculture and key stakeholders to examine lessons from pilot implementation and consider how the approach can be expanded nationally. Farmer Field Schools focus on learning by doing, allowing farmers to develop knowledge through field-based activities, experimentation, observation and collective problem-solving. The initiative reflects a broader effort to strengthen agricultural extension services while helping farmers develop practical skills that can improve productivity, resilience and food security.

The Farmer Field School approach places farmers at the centre of the learning process rather than treating them only as recipients of agricultural information. Farmers learn directly in their fields by observing crops, livestock and production conditions and testing practical solutions to challenges they encounter. This approach can help producers understand why particular farming practices work and how they can adapt them to their own circumstances. Collective learning also gives farmers an opportunity to share experiences and compare different approaches with other producers in their communities. By bringing agricultural knowledge closer to the farm, Farmer Field Schools can help bridge the gap between technical expertise and the practical realities of agricultural production.

The two-day inception meeting provides an important opportunity to assess the experience gained through pilot implementation of Farmer Field Schools in South Africa. Participants will reflect on what has worked, identify challenges and consider lessons that can guide the development of a stronger national framework. Pilot programmes are valuable because they provide an opportunity to test approaches in real farming environments before they are introduced on a larger scale. The experiences of farmers, extension officers and other stakeholders can help identify areas where additional resources, training or institutional support may be required. Using these lessons to inform future implementation can help ensure that the expansion of Farmer Field Schools responds to actual agricultural needs.

Institutionalising the Farmer Field School approach is expected to require cooperation between national and provincial agricultural structures. Provincial departments play an important role because extension services operate close to farming communities and understand the specific production conditions found in different regions. A coordinated framework can help create greater consistency while still allowing Farmer Field Schools to respond to local circumstances. Collaboration can also help clarify responsibilities, strengthen coordination and ensure that extension personnel receive the support they need to facilitate effective field-based learning. A shared approach can make it easier to expand successful practices while maintaining the flexibility required by different farming communities.

Capacity building will be another important focus of the meeting. Farmer Field Schools require extension personnel and other facilitators who can support participatory learning rather than simply deliver information to farmers. These facilitators need practical skills in observation, experimentation, group engagement and problem-solving, alongside strong technical agricultural knowledge. Identifying capacity-building needs during the inception meeting can help shape training programmes that prepare agricultural officials for this role. Strengthening the capabilities of extension teams can ultimately improve the quality of support available to farmers at community level.

The approach can also help farmers respond more effectively to challenges that affect agricultural production. Farmers regularly face issues involving changing weather conditions, pests, diseases, soil health, input costs and market pressures. Classroom-based training can provide useful information, but field-based learning allows producers to examine problems within the context of their own farming systems. Experimentation gives farmers an opportunity to compare practices and observe results before making decisions about wider adoption. This practical process can support greater confidence among farmers while encouraging them to develop solutions that suit their local conditions.

Collective problem-solving is another important feature of the Farmer Field School model. Agricultural challenges often affect groups of farmers within the same community, particularly where producers share environmental conditions, water resources or local markets. Working together allows farmers to exchange knowledge and learn from one another’s experiences. Group discussions can also help identify solutions that individual farmers may not have considered independently. Stronger farmer networks can contribute to knowledge sharing beyond formal training sessions and create a foundation for continued learning within rural communities.

The institutionalisation of Farmer Field Schools could also strengthen the relationship between farmers and agricultural extension services. Effective extension depends on regular engagement between farmers and professionals who understand both technical agricultural principles and the realities faced by producers. A field-based approach creates opportunities for extension officers to spend more time observing production challenges alongside farmers. This can improve the relevance of advice and allow emerging problems to be identified earlier. Stronger relationships can also build trust, making farmers more likely to share concerns and participate actively in agricultural programmes.

The initiative has wider implications for South Africa’s food systems because stronger farmers can contribute to more resilient agricultural production. Food security depends on the ability of agricultural producers to maintain production despite economic, environmental and biological pressures. Helping farmers improve their knowledge and problem-solving capabilities can strengthen their ability to respond to these pressures. Farmer Field Schools can contribute by encouraging continuous learning and practical experimentation at farm level. When these skills are supported through stronger extension systems, they can contribute to more resilient farming communities and more reliable food production.

The meeting’s focus on developing a shared roadmap for expanding the Farmer Field School approach is particularly important because successful implementation requires long-term planning. Scaling up a pilot programme involves more than simply increasing the number of participating farmers. It requires appropriate institutional structures, trained facilitators, monitoring systems, resources and mechanisms for learning from implementation. A national roadmap can provide direction while allowing agricultural authorities to identify priorities and establish realistic stages for expansion. Clear planning can also help ensure that the approach remains focused on farmer empowerment rather than becoming another top-down agricultural programme.

Farmer Field Schools can be relevant to different types of producers because the underlying principle focuses on practical learning and local problem-solving. Smallholder farmers can benefit from opportunities to test affordable production practices and share knowledge within their communities. Commercial and emerging farmers can also use field-based experimentation to assess production techniques and respond to specific challenges. The flexibility of the approach allows learning activities to be adapted to different crops, livestock systems and local conditions. This adaptability can be important in a country with diverse agricultural environments and farming systems.

The initiative also highlights the changing role of agricultural extension in a modern farming environment. Farmers have access to increasing amounts of information through digital platforms, research institutions and agricultural organisations, but having information available does not always mean that producers can easily apply it. Extension services can help farmers interpret technical knowledge and translate it into practical actions that fit their production systems. Farmer Field Schools add another dimension by allowing producers to participate directly in generating and testing knowledge. This can make extension more responsive and help farmers become active contributors to the learning process.

The National Department of Agriculture’s Farmer Field School Inception Meeting therefore represents an important step towards strengthening farmer-centred agricultural extension in South Africa. By bringing together national and provincial departments and key stakeholders, the two-day meeting provides a platform to assess pilot experiences, strengthen institutional arrangements and identify the capacity needed for wider implementation. The development of a shared roadmap can help guide the expansion of Farmer Field Schools while ensuring that practical learning remains connected to the realities of farmers. Stronger extension services can give producers better access to relevant knowledge, while field-based learning can help farmers build the confidence and skills needed to solve problems within their own farming systems. Through continued collaboration and investment in farmer empowerment, the Farmer Field School approach has the potential to contribute to stronger extension services, more capable farmers and more resilient food systems across South Africa.