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01. Focus Group Discussion (FGD)

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Dipendra Kumar Ayer Bal Krishna Joshi

Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science Tribhuvan University Nepal Agricultural Research Council
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Bioversity International
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 PATaM in Nepal, 2022

01. Focus Group Discussion (FGD)

Dipendra Kumar Ayer, Bal Krishna Joshi and Devendra Gauchan

A. Introduction
Agro-biodiversity assessment at the farm level involves farmer’s participation and visual observations
by making visits to the target places. Among the most common agrobiodiversity assessment tools,
focus group discussion (FGD) is an old tool but still popular for its simplicity in use and providing the
basic information regarding the crop problems and potential solutions applied in the community. FGD
is easy and quick in discussing with farmers and identifying their crop improvement needs and is also
a part of several other agrobiodiversity assessment tools for an initial assessment. FGDs can be
organized around a set of open-ended questions to probe into specific topic of interest. The
information collected in FGDs draws from local knowledge and from experiences, beliefs, perceptions
and attitudes of the participants. Proper documentation of such discussions and local technical
knowledge can be used as a reference for future crop improvement programs across diverse agro-
ecological regions in addition to sharing technical knowledge. Focus group discussion helps
researchers in visualizing the overall status of the farming community, their indigenous technical
knowledge, and priority trait of interest for crop improvement in that locality. Specific information
from the group of relevant farmers and stakeholders is collected for agrobiodiversity management
and discussions are made for validation of the problems identified. FGD also helps to identify the
pattern of landrace occurrence (growing areas and household), resource mapping, indigenous
technical knowledge applied for solving the crop-specific problems and educate farmers regarding the
importance of conservation of agrobiodiversity on-farm.

B. Objectives
 To assess the local agricultural biodiversity in terms of their use, present status, and future
aspects
 To identify farmer’s need and on-farm problems associated with biotic and abiotic stresses
and major yield losses
 To identify and document local traditional knowledge associated with crop management and
improvement
 To discuss the agricultural problem in a group to come out with a precise solution

C. Methods and Process

FGDs require good planning and organization during research design, preparation and data collection
with the involvement of a facilitator and a note-taker. Focus group discussions (FGD) are done at the
community level with 8-12 key farmers who cultivate the crop and are willing to improve their crop
on-farm. In order to elicit information from women and disadvantaged groups, a separate FGD can be
done for them. Interactions are made with farmers regarding their agricultural practices, a crop of
interest for daily food consumption or marketing, the major trait of interest of crops, problems in crop
cultivation, priority traits to be improved through breeding programs, etc. Once the list of crops,
problems and associated traits of interest are noted down, farmers are also engaged in discussion for
sharing their traditional knowledge to solve the prevalent problems in crop cultivation. Farmers
through the discussion with research scientists identify the major crops of interest, associated
problems, and priority traits and discuss further regarding potential crop improvement programs.
More than one crop or species with more than one priority trait of interest can be identified with this
method. The commonly used methodology of focus group discussion is given in Figure 1.

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 PATaM in Nepal, 2022

•Invite local key farmers and stakeholders for discussions

Inform and •Invite community farmers representing different villages in the locality
invite Key
Informants

•All the participants are acknowledged about the meeting and purpose of the
meeting
Sit together •Engage farmers in the discussions and information sharing regarding agricultural
for issues
discussion

•Take key notes from the discussion like crops in cultivation, varieties, inputs,
problems and associated indigenous technical knowledge
Documentation •Identify key issues and potential solutions of the agricultural problem

Figure 1. Key steps for Focus Group Discussion (FGD).

D. Conclusion
Focus Group Discussion (FGD) is an old but still popular tool for its simplicity in use and provides basic
information regarding the crop problems and potential solutions applied in the community. Proper
documentation of those discussions and associated indigenous technical knowledge from FGD can
provide basic level information of a greater region on status, use, and initiatives for agro-biodiversity
conservation on the farm. FGD also helps to identify the pattern of landrace occurrence (growing areas
and household), resource mapping, and collecting indigenous technical knowledge applied for solving
the crop-specific problems and educate farmers regarding the importance of agrobiodiversity
conservation on the farm.

E. Further Readings
Joshi BK, D Gauchan, B Bhandari and D Jarvis, eds. 2020. Good Practices for Agrobiodiversity Management.
NAGRC, LI-BIRD, and Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Joshi BK. 2019. Red Zoning and Red Listing of Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources. In: Working Groups of
Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources (APGRs) in Nepal (BK Joshi and R Shrestha, eds). Proceedings of
National Workshop, 21-22 June 2018, Kathmandu; NAGRC, NARC, Nepal; pp.167-173.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334052118_Working_Groups_of_Agricultural_Plant_Genetic
_Resources_APGRs_in_Nepal_Proceedings_of_National_Workshop_21-22_June_2018_Kathmandu
Joshi BK and D Gauchan. 2017. Germplasm Rescue: Why and How? In: Rebuilding Local Seed System of Native
Crops in Earthquake Affected Areas of Nepal (BK Joshi and D Gauchan, eds). Proceedings of a National
Sharingshop, 18 Dec 2017, Kathmandu; NAGRC, Bioversity International and Crop Trust; Kathmandu,
Nepal; pp.41-50. https://www.bioversityinternational.org/e-library/publications/detail/rebuilding-local-
seed-system-of-native-crops-in-earthquake-affected-areas-of-nepal/
PAR. 2018. Assessing Agrobiodiversity: A Compendium of Methods. A Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research
(PAR), Rome, Italy.
Sthapit BR, P Shrestha and MP Upadhyay (eds) 2006. On-farm Management of Agricultural Biodiversity in Nepal:
Good Practices. NARC/LI-BIRD/Bioversity International, Nepal.

Citation
In: BK Joshi, D Gauchan and DK Ayer (cpls & eds). 2022. Participatory agrobiodiversity tools and methodologies
(PATaM) in Nepal. NAGRC, LI-BIRD, and Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT; Kathmandu, Nepal.

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