IRRI IPM project 01: Using Entertainment-Education (E-E) approach to motivate rice farmers to reduce pesticide use in the Mekong Basin

Duration: 3 years (2003 –2005)

Purpose: To develop an entertainment- education approach to motivate rice farmers to reduce pesticide use.

Background/description: Rice farmers’ decisions to spray pesticides are due more to loss aversion attitudes, biased beliefs, and local peer pressures. Mass media can be effective in modifying the cognitive heuristics in decision-making and practicing change. Innovative use of Entertainment-Educations or E-E can effectively be applied to cultivate a new societal norm with regard to pesticide use by communicating Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles. In addition, it can potentially be extended to other issues, like health education (e.g., HIV/AIDS) and resource and environment management.

Using participatory workshops, two teams composed of stakeholders in research, extension, local government, farmers, and media in Vietnam and Laos will develop work plans and protocols to conduct audience analysis and feasibility assessments, identify needs, and develop appropriate prototype materials. To evaluate the EE approach, the teams will conduct baseline and post-test surveys of target audience before and after launching of materials (likely to be a drama series). Focus group discussions will be used periodically to develop survey instruments and to gain in-depth understanding of farmers’ attitudes and behavior. A set of on-the-ground follow-up activities that involve extension and listener groups will be established. The project will use a participatory approach to develop a platform to facilitate quality partnerships, capacity building, planning and review to enhance the continuation of the use of EE in the two countries.

Agroecozone(s) and location(s): Mekong Delta in Vietnam and irrigated areas in Laos

Expected outputs: a) Audience, farmers’ beliefs, and practices in pest management and feasibility of radio dramas in communicating IPM and resource management information to farmers in Vietnam and Laos analyzed. B) Radio-based soap opera series with farm settings, and entertainment and educational contents in Vietnamese and Lao for broadcasting through local radio stations developed and broadcast. C) A complementary set of on-the-ground follow-up activities with extension and listeners’ groups established and implemented. D).The use of the EE approach to communicate agricultural information to facilitate change evaluated.

Potential impact and beneficiaries: Rice farmers will be the beneficiaries. The radio drama series will help in communicating IPM principles and the benefits of reducing pesticides. Farmers’ perceptions about pests and natural biological controlled will be modified to favor reduction of unnecessary spray. Research showed that more than 50% of farmers’ insecticide use is unnecessary and thus this program is expected to help reduce pesticide use by about 30 to 40%. In doing this farmers’ income will be increased, the unnecessary risks to pesticide exposure reduced and pollution to environment also reduced.

Partners: a) International Rice research Institute (IRRI); b) Plant Protection Department, Ministry of Agricure and Rural Development of Vietnam ; c) Voice of Ho Chi Minh Radio Station ; d) Radio and TV Station of Vinh Long Province ; e) Cantho University ; f) World Vision ; g) National Rice Research Program of Laos ; h) Lao National Radio ; i) National Agriculture and Forestry extension service, Laos

Development investor(s): The Rockefeller Foundation

IITA contact person(s)/principal investigator(s): K.L. Heong k.heong@cgiar.org , M.M. Escalada M.escalada@cgiar.org Website: www.irri.org/radio