Participatory innovation development and diffusion

Rural Mayan communities in Yucatan are facing a severe socio-economical and ecological crisis due to the decreasing productivity of their traditional slash-and-burn system and the lack of alternative income sources. An innovative legume-based green manure system has been successfully introduced in other regions of Central America, and appears in terms of its potential to overcome the identified constrains. However, this innovation has only been adopted by very few campesinos in Yucatan. To understand what initially appears to be a diffusion problem, the analysis of this situation, is developed through two different lines of inquiry. The first focuses on a participatory analysis of the function and potential role of the minimum tillage system within the traditional slash-and-burn system. The second focuses on the methodological aspects of participatory innovation development. Four main phases of the process are described: Appraisal, Convergence, Experimentation and Reflection. The book adresses researchers and development workers involved in rural development.