Font size="""2" FACE="Times Roman" COLOR="#000000"Key words: interactive conversion design / vegetable production / small farms / sustainable farming / Colombia / learning processes / facilitation / agricultural research methods Economic and ecological pressure on small farmer production in Colombia has increased since the globalisation of trade in the early 1990s. Although the climate allows for year-round production, the farmers live precariously due to a high dependence on external inputs, poor access to different sources of information on production technology and lack of control over market prices. Mechanisms are required to help these producers find alternatives to stabilise their income while reducing the negative effect their farming practices have had on the environment..

This important book is the re-titled third edition of the extremely well received and widely used Agricultural Extension (van den Ban & Hawkins, 1988, 1996). Building on the previous editions, Communication for Rural Innovation maintains and adapts the insights and conceptual models of value today, while reflecting many new ideas, angles and modes of thinking concerning how agricultural extension is taught and carried through today. Since the previous edition of the book, the number and type of organisations that apply communicative strategies to foster change and development in agriculture and resource management has become much more varied and this book is aimed at those who use communication to facilitate change in agriculture and resource management. Communication for Rural Innovation is essential reading for process facilitators, communication division personnel, knowledge managers, training officers, consultants, policy makers, extension specialists and managers of agricultural extension or research organisations. The book can also be used as an advanced introduction into issues of communicative intervention at BSc or MSc level.

d) FFS institutionalization, scaling up and policy development, as part of mainstreaming processes.

Sustainable Development Policy and Administration provides a learning resource describing the major issues that are critical to understanding the multiple dimensions of sustainable development. The overall theme of each contributed chapter in this book is the urgent need to promote global sustainability while adding insights into the challenges facing the current and future generations. This volume brings together diverse contributions that cover the multiple facets of development, resulting in a rich reference for students, development managers, and others interested in this emerging field.

Provides a detailed record of types of rural building and offers advice for conversion, including retention of period features where appropriate. Sympathetic conversion ensures that the record of rural life is not lost. Contents include; history and development of all types of farm and related buildings; conservation and planning issues; Local Authority guidelines; conservation professionals and ethics; the design process; budgeting; working within a rural context and landscape; and case studies. Farm and Rural Buildings offers a vital resource for owners and conservation and building professionals.

This Open Access book presents feedback from the ‘Territorial Agroecological Transition in Action’- TATA-BOX research project, which was devoted to these specific issues. The multidisciplinary and multi-organisation research team steered a four-year action-research process in two territories of France. It also presents: i) the key dimensions to be considered when dealing with agroecological transition: diversity of agriculture models, management of uncertainties, polycentric governance, autonomies, and role of actors’ networks; ii) an operational and original participatory process and associated boundary tools to support local stakeholders in shifting from a shared diagnosis to a shared action plan for transition, and in so doing developing mutual understanding and involvement; iii) an analysis of the main effects of the methodology on research organisation and on stakeholders’ development and application; iv) critical analysis and foresights on the main outcomes of TATA-BOX, provided by external researchers.