FAO celebrated the 30th anniversary of Farmer Field Schools in Konya…
The practical field education approach can help Turkey’s agriculture become more sustainable and resilient…
26 June 2019, Konya, Turkey – FAO celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of Farmer Field Schools in Turkey’s Konya region within the scope of its sustainable land management and climate friendly agriculture project, funded by the Global Environment Fund.
Farmer Field Schools can be described as farmers’ participatory learning process, where they are in the centre. It is an interactive learning process taking place at the locations where the actual production takes place, rather than a one way learning in a seminar room. For this, a season long approach is essential.
“Farmers are the key for food production, therefore institutions have to make greater efforts to support them and agricultural production in general to ensure global and national food security,’’ said Viorel Gutu, FAO Representative in Turkey at the celebration ceremony.
Konya province in Turkey has vast production capacity, even internationally recognized as a granary of Turkey where agricultural production is diversifying and improving. There are meanwhile unfavourable developments and challenges, such as climate change, land degradation and water scarcity. For this reason, FAO promotes theFarmer Field School approach in Konya Closed Basin to support sustainable and resilient agricultural production in this area.
The event continued with presentations on the issue of strengthening farmers’ capacities in Turkey, presentation of Farmer Field Schools history over the past 30 years, and the experience in Konya and Karaman under the “Sustainable land management and Climate Smart Agriculture” project, funded by the Global Environment Fund.
A large number of audience including the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, universities, local institutions, non-governmental organizations, and farmers attended to the celebration.