This is Dick Tinsley again.

I have noted considerable discussion on participatory methods in this conference. I would like to enter a level of caution on this as participatory procedures can easily be leveraged toward the bias of the research promoting an innovation. Too easy to ask leading questions, or receive appeasement replies. Thus these need to be complimented with some more solid observations or other measurements.  As much as I have always enjoyed my many informal discussions with smallholder producers in all the countries I have had the pleasure to work, I tend to be skeptical of reliance on participatory involvement, without some additional inputs.

Dr. Dick Tinsley
Soil and Crop Science Department, 
Colorado State University, 
Fort Collins, 
80523 USA
Richard.Tinsley (at) colostate.edu

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