Sustainability and on-farm experiments: ways to exploit participatory and systems concepts

This paper attempts to rethink on-farm experimentation (OFE) in the light of farmer participatory approaches. It claims that a new protocol for OFE must involve a resource systems approach with the aim of improving the sustainability of the whole farming system through the increased integration and recycling of on-farm resources. This protocol will have three major elements: resource inventory and analysis; exposure to alternative resource use techniques; and, monitoring and evaluation of farming system transformation. Evidence in the paper suggests that for integrated aquaculture-agriculture systems, farmer participatory mapping and modelling do enable farmers to develop a more holistic approach to management of their farm's resources.