Burkina Faso

Three case studies

• Two cases in which the dynamics of linkages strongly enhance research with, however, a fundamental difference between the two situations: in one case, Diébougou (Burkina Faso), producers are organised in groups, co-ordination being carried out by a third organisation (the Diocese of Diébougou); in the second case, researchers have a formal, structured farmers’ organisation as a partner: the FUGN: Fédération des Groupements Naam (FUGN).

• The third case shows the dynamics of a group forming part of a structured organisation, the FUGN, to which research responds positively when technical constraints are identified.

Guinea

Two case studies

• A situation presenting strong, structured farmers' organisation dynamics on at a regional level, structured around several levels of farmers’ groups (Fédération des Paysans in Fouta Djallon).

•A situation where linkages with research are strongly shaped by the institutional environment, with a farmers' organisation structured around one sector, grappling with technical recommendations not well adapted to farmers’ livelihood needs (Fédération Nationale des Planteurs de Café de Guinée –FNPCG).

Cameroon

Three case studies

•/# Situations where technical requests from producers are made by organisations whose core motivation is to solve common marketing problems. Agricultural research institutions are situated in a difficult institutional and financial context, hard-pushed to rise above simple individual initiatives of researchers. These can be described as informal, ad hoc linkages.

Ghana

Six case studies

# Five cases correspond to conventional research processes connected with extension services; the producer groups involved can be described either as contact groups, or as non-collective linkages (individuals and families …); research is working with producers individually as a function of its own research questions and research protocols that arise from these.

• Another case concerns an initiative of the privatised Ghana Cotton Company, which piloted the formation of producer groups to take charge of certain economic functions before and after cotton production. The regional agricultural research institute (SARI) and extension service are not involved with this group, but research and extension support is provided by the Company.

The Gambia

Two case studies

# A situation where research has collaborated in a conventional way with extension and mobilises a very small number of "contact" farmers to test agricultural technologies thought to solve farmer-identified problems/constraints; no organisational dynamics exist beyond these actions (State-inspired Village Development Committees exist, but are not yet strong partners for agricultural service providers).

# Collaboration between a farmers’ organisation (ad hoc village development group) in the process of formation and an international NGO – ActionaAid The Gambia.

# Another case is presented showing an emerging national farmers’ organisation based around sesame production, without, as yet, any direct linkage with national agricultural research and extension.