HEPA (Human Ecology Practical Area) Farmer Field School (FFS) is a pioneering training dedicated to strengthen indigenous youth. HEPA FFS lies at the heart of the 6 inter-thematic networks action of Mekong Community Network Action for Ecological Trading (MECO-ECOTRA).
Overuse of resources and the lack of a caring attitude towards Human-Nature relationships in many sensitive watershed ecosystems have been the major causes leading to land desertification problems, gradual erosion of social traditions, and the losses of ecological biodiversity.
The successful visit and work of Mr. Tom Van Muilwijk, a teacher from HAS school in the Netherlands at HEPA
02/07/2014
The visit and work of HAS students (Netherlands) with SPERI (FFS-HEPA) in 2010 left a lot of good impressions for two sides. Especially, FFS–HEPA is interested because this is a meaningful new educational environment in the current trend.
This was the 3rd times Mr. Tom has come to FFS-HEPA to visit students' farm and share agriculture research skills with the people here. During the five days he stayed in FFS-HEPA, Mr. Tom with students had field trips to various farms where students were producing and learning. On the farm, Mr. Tom shared and gave comments to the experimental research which is being implemented. He also consulted how to monitor and develop a fruit trees area in FFS-HEPA.
HEPA staffs and students discussed with Mr. Tom at house number 1
Giang Thi Chung was sharing her research on peanuts last year
Mr. Tom shared his experiences in implementation research and some notes for people to do research
In the workshop of conducting agriculture research, he shared important things that those who do agricultural research should pay attention to:
1) Describe carefully the experiment so that it can be repeated
2) Reliability: to have repetition within the experiment (e.g. organize various of plots of experiment; repeated experiment by different times, seasons or years)
3) Consider the conditions of time, area, cost and other factors while conducting experiments in order to optimize their ability
4) Eliminate as thoroughly as possible interference factors when doing research (light, nutrients, water, etc.)
5) Determine what indicators need to be observed, recorded and monitored regularly. For example: In the research of experiment whether or not a new variety of fruit tree could be productive in a new region, the indicators should be number and size of fruits, pests on the trees and weather recording; whereas measuring leaf area, height of plants are not necessary. The measurement should use quantitative indicators as much as possible rather than use qualitative indicators.
6) Keep objectively, neutral attitude when doing research
7) The experiment should be designed simply
8) If the index when there is no measurable difference, it is also a result of the research (no difference is also a result).
Giang was recording comments from Mr. Tom
Sharing between Mr. Tom and HEPA staffs and students on field farm
Sharing between Mr. Tom and HEPA staffs and students on field farm
Sharing between Mr. Tom with students at Thuong Uyen farm
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Sustainable Ecological Livelihood and Food Sovereignty 
