“In July 1987, some 50 social and natural scientists of roughly equal numbers met at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Sussex, UK, for a workshop on ‘Farmers and Agricultural Research: Complementary Methods’, later more generally known as the ‘Farmer First’ workshop. That workshop marked a key moment in the development of approaches to farmer participation in agricultural research and extension, drawing together experiences from a diverse range of individuals and organisations from both North and South. Since then, methodological, institutional and policy experiments have unfolded around the world, aimed at putting farmers first.” The Farmer First workshop “launched a movement to encourage farmer participation in agricultural research and development (R&D), responding to farmers’ needs in complex, diverse, risk-prone environments, and promoting sustainable livelihoods and agriculture.” (Farmer First website)

     See also Farmer First Revisited

Sources:

Farmer First website http://www.future-agricultures.org/farmerfirst/farmer_first.html 

Chambers, R. and Ghildyal, B.P. (1985) Agricultural Research for Resource-Poor Farmers: |the Farmer-First-and-Last Model IDS Discussion Paper No 203, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies