Resumo

Academic discussion about farmers' experiments a synthesis. Pastos y Forrajes [online]. 2008, vol.31, n.1, pp.1-1. ISSN 0864-0394.

This paper reviews scientific literature dealing with farmers' experimentation and innovation. For this a search was conducted in databases, books and journals. Based on this information it can be stated that during the evolution of agricultural systems, farmers' experimentation and innovation have been an integrated part of the development of the worlds' agricultural systems. The capacity of farmers to respond and adapt to external and internal changes is the basis for agricultural evolution. The farmer is part of the system in which he/she is conducting experiments and has direct interest in improving the current situation. The motivation to start farmers' experiments arises from the perceived necessity or wish to find solutions for certain problems or just from the farmer's curiosity to try something. Farmers experiment and innovate with their own methods, which usually differ from scientific ones. The level of complexity ranges between very easy and very complex. The experiments are mainly conducted on the basis of locally available physical and biological resources. They can be classified into technical, economical, social and institutional ones.

Palavras-chave : Local knowledge; farmers' experiments; innovation.

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