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takes place among farmers and their families who are not A Case of Targeting in the Farming Systems Approach
directly involved in the on-farm research.
A farming systems team can enhance the informational The following example is drawn from farming systems
effect of on-farm research activities in a community. By activities in Central A~merica (Ruano 1977; Hildebrand and
understanding the local communication networks in an area, Cardona 1977; Reiche Caal et al. 1976). Although based oil
the FSR/E team can strategically locate on-farm verifica- actual experiences and cases, some liberty has been taken
tion trials in each diffusion domain to enhance the diffu- with its portrayal here to sht hr.', this refined concc-pt
sion of information about a new technology among potential domains might have been advantageously applied.
users. This ensures a broader, more equitable distribution A farming systems team from the national research
of information because it has the potential of reaching institute composed of three agricultural technicians, one
farmers who are difficult to reach through conventional economist, and one anthropologist (all men) was assigned to
extension methods and who rely greatly upon localized a certain hilly section of the country. In accordance with
interpersonal communication to acquire information, national agricultural production objectives, the team's
Frequently, information about new technologies mandate was to work on improving the production of basic
developed in agricultural programs tends to be communicated grains among small, resource-limited farmers in the project
only through male information networks. In som 'e societies area (a commodity and socioeconomic based project focus).
information about technologies is diffused only slowly, if Initial informal reconnaissance of the area and a
at all, from men to women even within a household. Female review of secondary information revealed that the area was
farmers are clearly disadvantaged in learning about new comprised of relatively flat, fertile lands in the valley
technologies if they cannot participate in male-oriented bottoms and poorer, rocky soils on the slopes. The larger,
dissemination programs. Definition and use of diffusion fertile farms in the valley bottoms were owned by wealthier
domains in the FSR/E testing process allows practitioners farmers who were able to employ mechanization in their
to recognize and plan for the fact that men and women often cultivation systems. Tractors were used in their monohave different communication networks. For example, if men cultural stands of maize and short, improved sorghum
gather and exchange information about agricultural varieties. In contrast, the hillsides were largely devoted
technology at certain locales (cooperatives, local seed and to small farmer cultivation, with farms averaging about 3.5
feed stores, bars) where women are usually not permitted by hectares. Sorghum and maize were interplanted using mostly
custom to enter, women may effectively be excluded from the traditional, taller sorghum varieties. A few farmers
process of dissemination, employed bullocks and plows on their farms, but most
cultivated their crops by hand.
FIELD USE OF THE DOMAIN CONCEPT Unfortunately, little secondary information existed
concerning the socioeconomic conditions of the area.
In practice, farming systems teams work in a project However, generally for this region, people say that men
area located on the basis of geographical and political plant and tend the crops while women manage the household,
considerations rather than with biological conditions or food processing and preparation, and the marketing. Little
socioeconomic concerns. Within a project area, project was known about the role of women in production. The team
focus can be based on a specific priority commodity common- assumed that this was generally true for the project area.
ly produced by farmers in the area or may be based on The team did not at this point have any female members.
socioeconomic considerations such as an emphasis upon small In keeping with their project focus, the team decided
farmers or women farmers. The farming systems team working their attention should be targeted on the smaller hillside
in the area may have responsibility for determining project farmers and farms. A sondeo (Hildebrand 1982), or diagfocus. Seldom will the team have input into defining the nostic survey, conducted in the hillside region revealed
project area. Even though it is of great importance in that farmers in the hillside areas used similar systems of
targeting farming systems efforts, the process of selecting intercropping maize and sorghum. They complained that the
the project area and project focus lies beyond the scope of scarcity and irregularity of rainfall had made maize culthis paper. This discussion will commence with subsequent tivation an increasingly risky endeavor. Farmers were
stages of the targeting process. For the sake of brevity unable to grow enough maize to meet their consumption
and clarity, a relatively simple example will be used.