1. practicalaction.org/europafrica DCI-NSAED/2010/240-529

2. In the past few lessons you’ve looked at… Foods that are grown in Africa and imported to Europe. Stories of small family farming systems in Africa. How small scale farming is a sustainable method of growing food. Small scale farming faces threats. Farmers join organisations and unions who represent their concerns at regional and national level.

3. Learning aims In this lesson you will be learning about groups of farmers and organisations who support and represent small scale farmers in Africa. Learning aims  To learn that small scale African farmers are skilled.  To learn how African farmers share skills, knowledge and technologies that helps sustain their farming systems.  To understand the term ‘Technology Justice’.

4. Farmers have many skills and like all of us they need to learn new things to help to adapt to changing times. Activity: Look at the images and think what skills, knowledge and technologies are being shared. Farmers have many skills..

5. Technology Justice The development agency Practical Action is an example of an organisation working with small scale farmers in Africa. They work with farmers to achieve Technology Justice… ‘the right of farmers to access the skills and technology they need to lead the life they value without harming others now or in the future.’ How might access to skills and technologies improve the lives of family farmers?

6. Access to knowledge and technology Practical Action works with farmers in Kenya to support the organisation of annual seed fairs in the Tharaka district. Here farmers get the chance to share their skills and knowledge as well as display a range of seeds from crops and farming technologies that promote seed security and crop diversity for the future.

7. A Farmers’ Fair  In small groups you will be tasked with researching about a group or organisation who share their skills and knowledge with other farmers.  They include: - Animal health care groups - Agriculture research organisations  Each group will be given a case study and links to internet sites to help you prepare some key facts and information for a poster to share at a Farmer’s fair during the following lesson.

8. At the Farmers’ Fair.. You will have the chance to:  Display your poster at the fair for the other groups to learn more about your organisation.  Visit other stallholders to learn about their organisations.  Complete the activity sheet Farmers’ Fair: Livelihood improvement.

9. Plenary From your learning today…  What skills, knowledge and technologies are African farmers sharing?  How does belonging to a farmers group benefit small scale farmers?  How does skill and knowledge sharing help farmers to achieve technology justice?

10. There are many groups of small scale farmers and food producers in Europe who share skills and knowledge to improve their farming. Find out more about these groups and how they work. Further information DCI-NSAED/2010/240-529