Linking Farmers to Markets

The farmer field school approach in marketing of local vegetables by farmers

FIELD Indonesia
FARMERS INITIATIVES FOR ECOLOGICAL LIVELIHOODS AND DEMOCRACY

FIELD Indonesia
FARMERS INITIATIVES FOR ECOLOGICAL LIVELIHOODS AND DEMOCRACY

Linking Farmers to Markets

The farmer field school approach in marketing of local vegetables by farmers

Citation
Engkus Kuswara, Lardian Isfandri, Setyo Untoro, Nugroho Wienarto, and Arma R. Bertuso. Linking Farmers to Markets: The farmer field school approach in marketing of local vegetables by farmers. FIELD Indonesia. 24 pp.

This publication was carried out with support from PEDIGREA (Participatory Enhancement of Diversity of Genetic Resources in Asia) and Biodiversity Fund, The Netherlands (Hivos and OXFAM-NOVIB)

FIELD (Farmers' Initiatives for Ecological Livelihoods and Democracy) Jalan Teluk Jakarta 1, Rawa Bambu Pasar Minggu, Jakarta 12520, Indonesia Tel./Fax (62-21) 7803470; 33101515 Email: fieldind@indosat.net.id www.pedigrea.org; www.field-indonesia.org; www.alivefp3.org; www.theFieldAlliance.org

Production in-charge: Nugroho Wienarto, Triyanto Purnama Adi, and Engkus Kuswara Editors: Ines Vivian Domingo and Arma R. Bertuso Cover and Layout Design: Triyanto Purnama Adi Photographs: Triyanto Purnama Adi, Engkus Kuswara, Lardian Isfandri, Rendra Kusuma Wijaya, Wiwik Sriyanti, Setyo Untoro

Copyright-free publication. Readers are encourage to quote, reproduce, disseminate and translate materials for their own use. Due acknowledgment, with full reference to the article's authors and source book is requested.

A catalogue record of this book is available from the Indonesian Library

ISBN 979-98088-7-2

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Acknowledgments
We are deeply grateful for the farmer trainers, farmer breeders and farmer communities of the Farmer Field School on Participatory Plant Breeding in rice and vegetables and FFS on Goat Improvement. Without their determination and commitment these series of publications would not be a reality. Acknowledgment is also due to the support extended by the Local Government of Indramayu, West Java. Highly recognizable too is the appreciation and support of the Indonesian IPM Farmer Associations, village level governments and communities of Indramayu to the implementation of PEDIGREA. We are also grateful to FIELD's Advisory Board for their support and guidance in the implementation of the program. Our heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Ines Vivian Domingo for her perseverance in editing these papers despite the short notice and making this readable to a broader audience. We also express our appreciation to the support and encouragement given by PEDIGREA (Participatory Enhancement of Diversity of Genetic Resources in Asia) Coordinators, Ms. Elenita C. Dano and Ms. Arma R. Bertuso, also to the project partners, SRER Khmer in Cambodia, PPRDI in Philippines and Center of Genetic Resources of the Netherlands. We gratefully acknowledge Biodiversity Fund of the Netherlands (HIVOS and OXFAM-NOVIB), Center of Genetic Resources of the Netherlands, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for without their support both financial and technical to FIELD these series of publications including Linking Farmers to Markets: The farmer field school approach in marketing of local vegetables by farmers won't be made possible.

FIELD Management Staff 25 March 2009 Pasar Minggu, Jakarta

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Linking Farmers to Markets

The farmer field school approach in marketing of local vegetables by farmers

By: Kuswara Engkus1, Lardian Isfandri2, Setyo Untoro3, Nugroho Wienarto4, and Arma Bertuso 5

Due to various factors, farmers encounter challenges in marketing their produce. Some of these factors include the lack of infrastructure to market their produce such as their own transportation facilities and stall in the market, high transaction costs, limited or no access to market information, and limited supply of farm products. For example, the volume of the farmers' produce is not big enough to to fulfill the market demand. As a result, most of the farmers rely on traders to buy their farm products from the villages, and in the end they have weak bargaining power because the prices are decided by the traders. Such a disadvantageous situation is a common plight of farmers in the villages in Indonesia. This paper discusses the experiences of the Arumsari Farmers' Group in Sliyeg Lor village of Sliyeg sub-district, Indramayu district, West Java in Indonesia. It gives an account of how the farmers organized themselves into a group that can directly market their vegetable products and be able to demand better prices.

How it started: The need to link PPB with markets

Sliyeg Lor village is located 20 km from the city of Indramayu district. The village is 183 km from Bandung, the capital of West Java and about 200 km from Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.

2, 3 4 5

Program Manager, PPB Project of FIELD Indonesia Field Staff, FIELD Indonesia Executive Director, FIELD Indonesia Co-coordinator, PEDIGREA Foundation

Fig 1. Location map of Sliyeg Lor village

Jakarta

Indramayu District

West Java Province

Project Site in Indonesia

Sliyeg

Like any other rural village, Sliyeg Lor is generally characterized as a farming community where 80% of its residents are farmers. The rest are traders (10%) and government employees (10%). According to 2008 figures, the total number of households is 1,070 with a population of 3,300 people (1,700 are women). The major crops cultivated in the village are rice, mangoes and local vegetables such as sponge gourd, bitter gourd, squash, string beans, Chinese cabbage, eggplants, and morning glory. Production of local vegetables is the farmers' main source of livelihood. In general, the major sources of income by farmers come from three crop commodities, namely: mangoes, rice, and local vegetables like sponge gourd. These provide an important source of timely income for the local farmers. Mangoes provide income to households on a yearly basis, rice is a source of monthly income,

while sponge gourd provides weekly income.* These three crops are planted in a multiple cropping system that makes land use very efficient. Sponge gourd is a valuable crop as farmers in the community have been growing this vegetable for a long time. They find it easy to cultivate and manage, requires low production costs, has minimal problems with pests and diseases, and has a good market demand. Thus when PEDIGREA started its work in the community in 2004, the Arumsari Farmers' Group decided to learn about sponge gourd in particular. In fact, during the peak harvest season from April to August, farmers in the community sell approximately 2 truckloads of sponge gourd every two days which is equivalent to 5 tons (1 truckload weighs about 2.5 tons). The new sponge gourd variety which is grown in the villages of Sliyeg Lor, Majasi and Longok is sold in the nearby market of Jatibarang, and can even reach as far as the cental market for vegetables in Bekasi and the Bandung market, (more than 150km and 180km away, respectively). It can be said that the local Sliyeg sponge gourd variety is considered gold by the farmers. However, farmers had some problems with it; they expressed that production has decreased because the variety has deteriorated. The current Sliyeg variety widely grown in the villages is considered too long at 35-50cm which made it difficult to pack and transport because it is prone to breakage. Moreover, this long variety has a lower price because it is rough and bland, and consumers prefer one with soft texture and sweet taste. But it is high yielding and drought resistant, so farmers still continue to plant it. Because of this, the farmers in Sliyeg Lor became interested in participatory plant breeding (PPB). They recognized the value of improving their varieties of sponge gourd for a better market. In the farmer field school (FFS), the farmer-breeders set their breeding objectives for a new sponge gourd with the following traits: early maturity, medium-sized fruit (15-20 cm), high yielding, sweet taste and soft texture. The FFS PPB participants crossed the local varieties from Kalensari and Sliyeg in 2004. Kalensari is a village in Widasari subsitrict and is about 20 kilometers from Sliyeg Lor. The Kalensari sponge gourd has a fruit length of about 15cm, sweet taste, soft texture and good yield (ave. 10 tons/ha./cropping season), while the Sliyeg sponge gourd has a fruit length of 35-50 cm, rough texture and bland taste. By 2006, the Sliyeg Lor farmers were successful in getting a new variety of sponge gourd (F5) based on their breeding objectives after rigorous selections. The new

* The local farmers typically harvest sponge gourd every two days; however, they consider this vegetable as a source of weeky income.

variety has the following traits: fruit length is 20-25 cm, sweet taste, soft texture and good yield (5 tons/ha). The new Sliyeg variety quickly gained popularity among the local farmers. In 2007, 120 farmers planted the variety in 45 hectares in the villages of Sliyeg Lor, Majasi and Longok. By the dry season of 2008, the production of new Sliyeg has expanded with 320 farmers planting it over an area of 65 hectares resulting in 780 tons of the variety being sold in the Jatibarang, Bekasi, and Bandung markets. Despite the success and popularity of the new Sliyeg variety, marketing it remains a challenge to the farmers. Their produce are sold through middlemen and traders who come to the village and buy from them. The farmers on the other hand do not have the resources and capacity to sell their products directly in the market so the price is dependent on the traders. To address this problem, the farmers through the PEDIGREA program tried enhancing their knowledge through the FFS on marketing. A farmer field school was set up in June to September 2008 in Sliyeg Lor village to pilot the participatory market approach in the project.

Next step: The farmer field school on participatory marketing

Similar to the ones used for PPB and Participatory Animal Improvement (PAI), the FFS on participatory marketing (PM) is an adult learning approach for farmers to gain knowledge through experiential learning. The FFS PM is comprised of three phases: baseline study, training of trainers (ToT) and FFS on Marketing Implementation.

Fig 1. FFS Framework on Marketing Implementation in Arumsari Farmers' Group

Implementation of FFS on Marketing

Week 1: Internal analysis: on-farm crop specialization Week 2: Internal analysis: on-farm production methods

Baseline Study

Week 3: Data Analysis Week 4: External analysis: product identification Week 5: External analysis: analysis of buyers Week 6: Data Analysis

Training of Trainer
Day 1: Internal and external analysis Day 2: SWOT Day3: Farmer organization

Week 7: SWOT: strengthen and weaknesses Week 8: SWOT: opportunities and threaths Week 9: Marketing strategies and action plans (task distribution) Week 10: Supply chains Week 11: Farmers group and access to marketing information (setting up system/link to network) Week 12: Building cooperative unit for marketing Week 13: Defining group members responsibilities in marketing task/coorditation Marketing action plan

A. Baseline study for marketing activiies

FIELD Indonesia collaborated with IPPHTI (IPM Farmers' Association) of Indramayu district to conduct the baseline study from December 10 to 12, 2007 in Sliyeg village where the Arumsari farmers' group is based. Some of the most important issues and potentials for marketing of agricultural products gathered during the baseline study are outlined below: ? The seeds came from crosses and selections made by the Arumsari farmers' group. It has been planted by 320 farmers in the villages of Sliyeg, Majasi and Longok.

Vegetables are one of the main sources of income in Sliyeg Lor , that's why the Arumsari farmers' group was interested in PPB especially on sponge gourd. The problems identified on local vegetable marketing were: a. The price was decided by traders. b. Farmers do not have enough money for input costs, and were largely dependent on middlemen. c. Farmers do not have direct access to market. d. Farmers network (for marketing-related activities) is still weak. e. Farmers plant (and harvest) sponge gourd relatively at the same time, so the price becomes low. f. Farmers do not have enough knowledge on marketing system.

In Sliyeg Lor village, farmers plant sponge gourd 3 times a year. The first season is from January to March (multiple cropping with rice and mangoes, with the sponge gourd planted on the dikes); the second planting season is from May to August; and the third season is from September to December. Main markets and their distances from Sliyeg Lor: Jatibarang 15 km; Cirebon 54 km; Bandung 183 km, and Keramat Jati 200 km.

The above information was used as the basis for planning the activities and FFS in marketing implementation. After the baseline study, a ToT was conducted.

B. Training of Trainers (ToT)

A ToT for marketing implementation was held last December 16-18, 2007, a few days after the completion of the baseline study. The ToT was attended by 17 participants composed of members of the three farmers' groups of Arumsari (10), Majasi (2), and Karya Peduli Tani (2), 1 representative from the IPM Farmers' Association, and 2 FIELD staff. The training was handled by an expert from LEI-Wageningen, Ms. Olga van der Valk. Mr . Helmi Ali, FIELD-Indonesia advisor, handled the topic on farmers' organizations. Learning subjects for the ToT were Internal analysis and External analysis, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT), and farmers' organization. The topic on farmers' organization was added based on the findings of

the baseline study that the Arumsari Farmers' Group was still weak in its vision and cooperation among its members.

C. FFS on Marketing Implementation

The FFS activities on marketing implementation by the Arumsari Farmers' Group ran from March to July 2008 with 25 participants (8 of them women). The FFS was conducted by a farmer facilitator and the FIELD staff who were involved in the ToT. There were four main topics jn the FFS: Internal analysis, External analysis, SWOT, and Marketing strategies. Others topics were market access information and supply chain. Internal analysis emphasized on how to know the potential on-farm crop specialization while external analysis dealt with product identification and buyer analysis. Marketing strategies, on the other hand, is was aimed to surface farmers' ideas on how to create their marketing scheme.

For example, some of the things they did as part of marketing strategy exercise was to organize themselves and appoint member(s) with the relevant skills to go to the market; the responsible person(s) asked for the price of different products from 10 buyers. The group learned to set their ideal selling price, which should be more than the average or at least it should cover all their costs. Shown below is part of their outputs in the external analysis which the farmers used in their action plan.

Table 1. External analysis on different market conditions

Considerations Terms of payment

Middlemen Extend loans; give immediate payment All qualities accepted

Local market place

Supermarket

Gives payment when Gives payment after goods are sold 3 weeks Different qualities accepted Only best quality produce are accepted Fixed price

Product quality requirements

Price in July and December Other costs

High in July, low in December No additional costs

More stable

Transport to market; have to have someone selling at the market

Transport to city; have to pass quality control; negotiation with buyer

The internal and external analyses in the FFS were taken up because they are useful for the formulation of the marketing plan and action plan that farmers will implement after the FFS. One of the most important aspects of the FFS is the development of the marketing plan. The marketing plan describes the future (market-related) situation of the farmers. The action plan is part of the marketing plan, describing the actions/activities/people/resources needed to bridge the difference between the situation now (supply) and the desired situation or market position in the future (demand in a specific target market and how to adapt supply to comply with demand). In the action plan, attention is given to how the supply chain is organized at the moment and how the farmers' group plans to change this in the marketing plan. The SWOT analysis aims to enhance farmer knowledge on building a marketing strategy. The SWOT process on marketing is to compare the different markets or buyers: What are their requirements? How about their terms of payment? Which one is the best? Why?.

Table 2. Examples of questions asked in the SWOT analysis

Internal Weaknesses or Strengths How much volume is produced? What quality do we have? How many people in the village are growing sponge gourd/mango/rice? How strong or weak is the farmers' organization? Harvest distribution within the year External Opportunities or Threats What is the demand from the market? What is the quality required by buyers? How many people in other regions are growing the same crops? Buyers' organization (or agreements on price and contact persons)? What are the buyers' requirements on volume? What are the transport costs (distance to the market?)

The FFS process also showed some useful information between women's and men's perceptions on marketing issues to ensure a balance of ideas and decisions. The table below outlines the participants' views about sponge gourd marketing problems in Sliyeg Lor. It shows that the women participants were more critical and detailed with their ideas than their male counterparts. This highlights the importance of involving women in the FFS and in the marketing process.

Table 3. Men's and women's perception of marketing problem in Sliyeg Lor village
Men's perceptions
? The price is decided by traders. ? Farmers do not have enough money; they are highly dependent on middlemen. ? Farmers do not have direct access to the market. ? Farmers' network is still weak. ? Farmers plant (and harvest) sponge gourd at about the same time; the price becomes low. ? Farmers do not have enough knowledge on marketing system.

Women's perceptions
? The price of sponge gourd is low; cost of production inputs are high if compared with total inputs.

? Farmers cannot decide the price. ? Farmers borrow money from middlemen at high interest rates. ? Selling is by individual (not group) basis. ? Farmers' group does not have enough knowledge on marketing system. ? Farmers' organization is still weak. ? Farmers are highly dependent on middlemen. ? Farmers do not have access to the market and to market information.

The topics on FFS marketing implementation are meant to help increase the farmers' awareness on prevailing market conditions. As an example, the external analysis on marketing shows farmers' prices for common vegetables and how much middlemen sell them for in different markets; the FFS participants can also compare who gets benefits from the farm products being sold in the markets.

Table 4. Results of external analysis on market price of agriculture products

Commodities Sponge gourd Bitter gourd Cucumber Squash Sweet potatoes Morning glory Eggplants Chili Tomatoes Amaranth Mangoes

Middleman to Middleman Bandung and toJatibarang market Bekasi markets Farmers' price (Rp/kg) (Rp/kg) (Rp/kg) 2,000 2,000 1,500 600 400 150 1,000 11,000 800 800 10,000 2,400 2,300 1,700 900 600 200 1,300 13,000 1,000 1,000 15,000 2,900 2,700 2,000 1,200 800 300 2,000 15,000 1,300 1,500 22,000

Note: For all the agricultural products, middlemen benefit more than the farmers.

Most farmers in Sliyeg Lor village sell their produce directly to the middlemen without a clear idea how much profit the middlemen make after they sell the same products in the market. People are satisfied with the situation as they get paid immediately by the traders. So after they conducted the external analysis on market chain, they were made to think how (direct) marketing could benefit them. The issue challenged the FFS participants and made them realize that such an activity or exercise need to involve farmers like themselves who are directly concerned about marketing their products.

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The FFS design consisted of 15 weekly meetings. Two of the meetings were for preparations and the rest of the 13 were devoted to actual FFS activities. Each weekly meeting typically included a review of the last meeting, discussion on the action research, discussion on special topics, group dynamics, and evaluation and planning for the next meeting. These activities are described below: 1. Review of the last meeting. This activity aims to evaluate results of the last week's meeting. It is also a chance for the farmers to clarify points which are unclear to them. Action research. This activity would depend on what topic was decided on by the participants and facilitators. The action research aims to give the FFS participants the chance to work on specific topics that will improve their marketing knowledge and skills. During the action research, the facilitator and participants will discuss the area of obsevation based on geographic scope, then participants are divided into small groups. These small groups work on the topic assigned to them and conduct actual observation and focus group discussions (FGDs) with community members in their assigned area. The action research usually takes two meetings. Small group discussion and presentation. After they are finished with the observations and FGDs, the FFS participants work in small groups to analyze the data gathered and prepare for the group presentation. They themselves present the results while the facilitator leads the process. One farmer is assigned as the presentor but other group members help in clarifying their data and information. After all the presentations, the facilitator invites the participants to identify and highlight important findings and conclusions from the research. Based on the results, the FFS participants make their decisions. Discussion on special topics. This activity aims to provide the FFS participants with knowledge on the technical aspects of the marketing proces. Such topics include internal and external analysis, data analysis, SWOT, strategic marketing, supply chain, farmers' group and acces to marketing information, building

2.

3.

4.

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cooperative union, defining group members' responsibilities, and marketing action plan. The participants learn these topics before they conduct the action research with the community. Each weekly meeting, the participants choose a topic to discuss and afterwards they go to the commnity to conduct the action research. 5. Group dynamics, on the other hand aims to encourage paticipants to have good communication, cooperation, and build critical thinking and planning skills. One topic for group dynamics is conducted every week. Evaluation of the meeting and planning for the next meeting is meant to review the participant's comprehension on the topics discussed, and to develop plans for the next weekly meeting.

6.

In the FFS, the participants understood (in concept or theory) almost all the topics covered but they acknowledged having difficulties in applying them in the real market.

Achievements: Results of the marketing implementation

After the FFS, one of the results is the formation of the marketing group that will work on the marketing of the new Sliyeg variety resulting from the PPB work of the local farmers. The marketing group is composed of 25 FFS farmer graduates, with the following set of officers and members: Group leader Secretary Tresurer Marketing section : Taryana : Imran Rosadi : Iroh : Nardem, Wasnadi and Edi Sukarno

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Promotion section : Janudi, Neti and Erna Members : Winoto, Daniah, Waskini, Erna, T ayo, Suswati, Murki, Ratim, Marni, and Nunung

To manage their activities, the group was divided in two sub-groups. 1. Organization group, with the following tasks: ? ? ? ? ? Documentation of the marketing activities Monitoring of on-farm activities Facilitate consultation with all members Acceptance of products of members for selling Write monthly reports on budgets and activities

2. Regulation group, responsible for drafting and implementing the marketing rules and regulations of the farmers' group, which include: ? All members of the group have to sell their products to the marketing organization, if the price of the marketing organization is much better than that offered by the middlemen. All the members have to save money as obligatory contribution to the group for the organization's capital which will be used for buying the members' produce. All the members have to contribute ideas in developing the marketing organization. The price of products is decided by all the members. The income (profit) from the marketing of the products is decided by the members thus: 20 % for the members, 40 % for operational costs, and 40 % for capital.

? ?

The marketing activities is managed by the group. These activites include: promotion, collecting products from the members, and sorting and selling them to the Jatibarang market. The target is to sell 500kg of the new Sliyeg variety of sponge gourd per week. The activity is still on trial and the group plans to expand

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this in the future when there is enough supply of the sponge gourd. The farmer group meets every Saturday to manage the marketing. The FFS was useful for the farmers to learn how the market works, particularly on the role of middlemen and traders in the marketing process. So far, the selling of the new Sliyeg sponge gourd has not yet increased the farmers' incomes but the experience has given them a lot of insights on organizing and marketing. The initial marketing activities specifically increased the farmers' knowledge in the following aspects: 1. knowing exactly how the middlemen and traders perform a big role in deciding the prices of agricultural products 2. coming up with a strategy to sell farmers' products 3. accessing price information 4. choosing the kinds of vegetables and the time they are needed in the market or by the consumer to get a good price

After the participants have gone through the actual process of internal and external analysis and implementing the marketing strategy that they formulated, they

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became more enthusiastic, because they felt they have a good chance of increasing their incomes. A key element to the strategy is to cut the market chain by increasing their negotiating position with traders in order to get better prices for their products as shown in the table below:

Table 5. Price comparison of vegetables in different markets, 4 July 2008

Farmers' Prices Middleman 1 Sliyeg Lor Jatibarang Middleman 2 village Market Cirebon Market (IDR/kg) (IDR/kg) (IDR/kg) 2,000 2,000 1,200 150 1,000 600 1,000 11,000 300 1,200 800 800 7,000 1,000 3,500 500 10,000 3,000 1,600 2,400 2,500 1,500 200 1,500 850 1,300 13,000 400 1,800 1,000 1,000 8,000 1,200 4,000 750 15,000 3,500 1,800 2,900 2,800 1,700 300 2,000 1,100 2,000 15,000 800 2,200 1,300 1,500 7,000 1,700 4,500 1,000 21,000 4,000 2,100

Commodities Sponge gourd Bitter gourd Cucumber Morning glory Cassava Sweet potatoes Eggplants Chilli peper Squash Watermelon Tomatoes Amaranth Onions Leeks Rice Turmeric Mangoes Beans Taro roots

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Moving forward: The marketing challenges of the farmers in Sliyeg

1. Collective action of farmers is needed. There is a need to form and build a strong marketing organization that can lead the group's activities in marketing. It is only by coming together that farmers realize they have the capability to do marketing by themselves. 2. Continuation of capacity building of farmers. There is a need to continuously provide trainings and guidance to the farmers in marketing so that their capacity will be developed as they do their own marketing. Practical knowledge and skills in the following areas would be useful: postharvest handling of vegetables (from farm to market), price negotiation/bargaining, product promotion, bookkeeping and related financial management skills, and the like. 3. Building bridges with other farmers and groups. The farmers also recognized that marketing groups in villages need strong linkages and collaboration with other farmers and groups so that their products will be more stable (in terms of continuity of production or supply, quality standard, price, etc.) and can influence in decision making related to price. Examples are working together with other groups such as other farmers' groups, IPPHTI, and traders in Jatibarang and Bekasi markets to increase their chances of directly selling their products to big markets and reaching more consumers. 4. Maintaining the quality of the variety. It is important to maintain the quality of the new Sliyeg variety of sponge gourd so that it will keep its traits that made it attractive to the farmers and acceptable in the market. Farmers stated that the variety must be purified in certain growing seasons so that it will not deteriorate and will be kept longer in the market. Therefore, the marketing activities must be linked with the participatory plant breeding efforts.

The Arumsari Farmers' Group's experience with the FFS in marketing development made the group realize that marketing is not such a simple and easy matter. The farmers also learned some of the factors that they need to consider such as: the importance of knowing their potential production; the types of crops, harvesting time, and production volume; analysis of production and other costs as reference for price negotiation; and understanding the demand so that they can determine a more appropriate marketing strategy. Some interesting points to consider in further developing the FFS in marketing include the following:

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The FFS may be more effective if conducted with a group that is experiencing actual problems with marketing its products. All the members are fully aware of their marketing problems. The FFS is conducted with advanced farmers' groups (i.,e., the groups are well organized or are already established).

? ?

With the above conditions, the field school can just focus on topics specific to marketing.

Note: FIELD Indonesia welcomes comments and suggestions to enhance the quality of its FFS in marketing and to improve the marketing strategy of its partnerfarmers' groups.

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FIELD
FIELD Indonesia Foundation (Farmer Initiatives for Ecological Livelihoods and Democracy) is an organization that supports people in marginal communities through education for empowerment. FIELD Indonesia was established on 1 June 2001. FIELD key staffs are former members of the FAO Regional Program on Community IPM in Asia (www.CommunityIPM.org) in 1998-2002 and were part of the team that provided technical assistance over 12 years to the National IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Program, local farmer organizations and the Indonesian IPM Farmers Associations. FIELD activities make use of a variety learning approaches including the Farmer Field Schools & Studies, Community Action Research, Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, and Farmer Advocacy. FIELD's vision is that marginal communities in Indonesia re-claim and remanage their public domains and improve their livelihoods. And its missions are to facilitate marginal communities to be able to: ? Analyze and understand the conditions of the ecosystems that form the basis of their livelihoods in technical, social and political aspects. Organize themselves to conduct actions to enhance their livelihoods in a manner that is both ecologically sound (just and in harmony with the nature) and democratic (just and in harmony with other people).

Specifically, FIELD as a partner of PEDIGREA is doing the conservation and utilization of genetic resources by farmers on rice, local vegetables (sponge gourd, bitter gourd and pumpkin) and animal (goat), participatory market development, and policy advocacy within the framework of Farmers' Rights and Ecological Agriculture in Indramayu District, West Java Province. Currently, FIELD is also working in other programs, such as Sustaining Local Food Systems and Agro-biodiversity, Community Action Research for Advocacy Education and Local Policy Reform, Environment Services Program Field Schools, Community Biodiversity and Livelihoods Field Schools, Home garden Vegetable and Nutrition Field Schools as a part of Household Food Security Program, Ecological Agriculture and Organic Farming, Ecological IPM in vegetables, and System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

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PEDIGREA
The Participatory Enhancement of Diversity of Genetic Resources in Asia (PEDIGREA) is a project that aims to strengthen the capability of farming communities to manage their genetic resources as part of local agro-biodiversity. The project focuses on:

? participatory plant breeding aimed at the broadening of the genetic base of rice in intensive production systems, ? participatory crop improvement of local and traditional vegetables (i.e. pumpkin, sponge gourd, wax gourd, bitter gourd, eggplant, string beans), ? participatory animal improvement aimed at enhancing the genetic base of farm animals (i.e. pig and goat), and ? participatory market development aimed at creating and improving market opportunities for local and regional farm products. The purpose of PEDIGREA is to contribute to food sovereignty and to strengthen farmers' genetic diversity and knowledge systems in the rice based farming systems of Southeast Asia. It works on participatory methodologies developed in the Farmer Field School (FFS) approach with the partner farming communities. At the same time, the project build on the comparative advantages of all key actors in the management of genetic resources including those from the public sector. PEDIGREA project is implemented in three countries, namely: Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. PEDIGREA project partners are SRER KHMER in Cambodia, FIELD in Indonesia and PPRDI in the Philippines, and the CGN, the Netherlands. The project is coordinated by the PEDIGREA Foundation.

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Linking Farmers to Markets

The farmer field school approach in marketing of local vegetables by farmers

ISBN 979-98088-7-2