The Farmer Field School Approach in Sierra Leone

Farmer Field Schools (FFS) are a non‑formal adult education approach that combines experiential learning, community leadership, and action research to empower farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve productive and sustainable agriculture.

The FFS approach was introduced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1989 and began to be implemented in Sierra Leone by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) in 2003. As the FFS methodology became established nationally, in 2007 Concern Worldwide adopted it as a core delivery and learning platform within its livelihoods and food systems programming, aligning implementation with national systems and priorities.

Concern’s engagement with FFS has focused on strengthening small-scale farmers’ knowledge and practices in climate-smart agriculture (CSA) to improve food availability, dietary diversity, and resilience to climate shocks. Across multiple programmes, FFS have functioned as participatory learning spaces, combining learning by doing, farmer-to-farmer exchange, and field-based experimentation on communal village plots, supporting improvements in production, soil and water management, and household nutrition.

This learning paper outlines Concern’s experience applying the FFS approach in Sierra Leone, highlighting key results, challenges, and lessons learned to inform future programming.