Campesino a Campesino (peasant to peasant) processes versus conventional extension: a comparative model to examine agroecological scaling

An important question in agroecology is that of social process methodology to achieve scaling. Despite the great achievements of the Campesino a Campesino (CaC) (peasant to peasant) methodology to multiply agroecological practices among the peasantry, many experiences continue to use the technical assistance conventional extension model, which consists of hiring technicians for a public sector institution, an international organization or a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to transfer agroecological practices to their clients or beneficiaries. CaC, instead, is designed to establish a network of farmers who share their own practices with each other, and the role of the technician changes to that of facilitator in the design and execution of the overall process. In this article we present a model in which we simulated the experience of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) in Cuba and compared it with conventional extension, systematically exploring which properties make CaC a more effective, less costly and more dynamic methodology for territorializing or scaling agroecology.

Automated summary

An important question in agroecology is how to achieve scaling through social process methodology. The Campesino a Campesino (CaC) methodology has achieved great success in multiplying agroecological practices among peasants, but many experiences still rely on the conventional extension model of technical assistance. CaC, on the other hand, establishes a network of farmers who share their own practices, with the technician acting as a facilitator. In this article, a model based on the experience of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) in Cuba is presented, comparing CaC with conventional extension and exploring the properties that make CaC a more effective, less costly, and more dynamic methodology for scaling agroecology.