... is an exhibition of 16 A0-size posters which use photographs, graphics and text to illustrate dialogical communication methods and their use. These participatory methods have been successfully applied to facilitate dialogical encounters between farmers and scientists in the context of international agricultural research thereby contributing to making agricultural research more client oriented.
 
 

How can you get hold of the exhibition?

Post orders for the exhibition have phased out.

You can still download Acrobat files from this Web-site. However, the graphic quality is reduced for reasons of file size.

For contact address and e-mail, please see below.
 
 

Background Information

From collecting information towards generation of shared meaning

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT has a long tradition in developing new pearl millet varieties to improve production systems in Western Rajasthan. In the last decade participation of farmers has been mainly practiced through on-farm trials.

However scientists involved in such on farm trials felt the need for a deeper dialogue with farmers in order to understand and to target their research better towards the needs of the rural communities.

Therefore the Department of Agricultural Communication and Extension (University of Hohenheim) and ICRISAT started a collaboration project (1994 - 97) focusing on development of communication methods for dialogic and effective communication between the farmers and researchers. This project was funded by the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit (BMZ) through GTZ.

During the three years of research a wide range of communication tools was applied and tested regarding their usefulness to discuss pearl millet related issues (soil, seed management, etc.) with different sections (caste, gender, age, illiterate etc.) of farmers. The tools helped farmers and scientists to share their knowledge across their different communication and knowledge systems. The insights gained through such encounters led to a better understanding of the pearl millet production system and identification of ways, how international research can contribute to strengthen farmers agricultural production and knowledge system.

Mohan Dhamotharan and Thomas Becker