Farmer-based research on alternatives to tobacco production

Meeting: Celebrating Dialogue : An International SAS2 Forum, November 3, 2008, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, CASAS reports are made available in order to provide timely access to the information by interested researchers. This report has been subject to an internal review process to ensure accuracy and quality.As farmers have become dependent on tobacco growing in areas of Bangladesh, the technology and markets for other crops and livestock have faded away. Experimentation with new crops is stagnant. Through a Social Analysis System (SAS) process, farmers analyzed desirable crop characteristics and new crop combinations and rotations. By using this technique, participants came to focus on mixed cropping systems involving crops that farmers can market themselves locally or regionally. The SAS method combines dialogue, reflection, and problem-solving; uses visual elements, local language, and local ways of measuring; and supports novel thinking and technical innovation