Bringing ScAD to the Farmers’ Fields: A New Dimension of Participatory Agricultural Assessment
“The oak sleeps in the acorn.” This timeless saying beautifully reflects how profound transformations often take root in the most natural and unassuming settings. The field implementation of the Scaling Assessment and Discussion (ScAD) tool in Dakshin Mendabari village, Alipurduar district, West Bengal, exemplified the practical realization of this approach, transforming an unconventional field exercise into a dynamic model of community-led participatory assessment.
Photo: Dakshin Mendabari, Alipurduar, West Bengal
The Scaling Assessment and Discussion (ScAD) is a participatory decision-support tool that helps organizations and communities collaboratively evaluate how to promote a specific agricultural practice by assessing its relevance, sustainability, and inclusivity, along with comparing different methods and implementing entities so that scaling efforts are better targeted, locally informed, and more likely to succeed. Traditionally used within institutional settings, ScAD was, for the first time, conducted in an open field directly among the farmers, with the active presence of officials from the Department of Agriculture (DoA), Government of West Bengal. The exercise, designed to analyze the scalability potential of the zero-tillage mustard initiative, turned into an inspiring example of how authentic field engagement can elevate the quality, inclusivity, and depth of participatory discussions.
Conducting ScAD in an open-air environment brought a refreshing sense of realism and connection to the process. Surrounded by standing crops, earthy fragrance of country soil, and everyday farm tools, farmers could directly relate each scaling dimension to their lived experiences. Discussions became more contextual and empirically grounded as participants demonstrated post–kharif rice zero-tillage practices in their own fields. The natural setting encouraged a sense of ownership and pride among the farmers, who saw themselves not merely as respondents but as co-evaluators of innovation.
Photo: ScAD Workshop in Farmers’ Field
The enthusiasm and participation levels observed during the field exercise were exceptional. Farmers engaged with great curiosity and sincerity, freely expressing their views, challenges, and ideas for scaling. The familiar village surroundings made them more relaxed and confident, which allowed a genuine flow of insights often missing in institutional workshops. Government officials acknowledged the value of this direct and unmediated dialogue, which enhanced the understanding of field-level realities and farmers’ perspectives.
The workshop evolved into a vibrant conversation that went beyond assessment and became a collective reflection and learning experience. Though the open setting brought a few practical challenges, they added colour rather than constraint to the day’s experience. Occasional background noises and the curiosity of passing farmers, who stopped to observe and join, reflected the collective community interest in the activity.
A mid-session technical interruption due to laptop battery failure unexpectedly fostered an instance of effective rural collaboration. Villagers immediately arranged an extension cord and restored the power supply so that the discussion could continue seamlessly. The spontaneous teamwork and problem-solving spirit displayed by the participants demonstrated their deep engagement and commitment to the process. Facilitation in the field also became more creative and adaptive. Vernacular explanations and participatory examples were used to make the scaling parameters easy to understand.
Farmers viewed zero tillage mustard as a timely and practical innovation that could transform fallow post-paddy land into a productive, income generating benefits such as improved soil health, better use of residual moisture, enhanced food and nutritional security, and reduced input costs. While they acknowledged persistent challenges like elephant rampage, input shortages, and limited mechanization, they expressed readiness to adopt ZT mustard provided future outscaling efforts include localized demonstrations, input facilitation, and inclusive support for marginalized groups such as resource-poor and women-headed households.
The ScAD workshop held in the fields of Dakshin Mendabari was more than a methodological trial, it emerged as a participatory and empowering process that blended scientific assessment with the lived experiences and insights of the local farming community. It proved that when assessment tools are brought closer to the community, they become more meaningful, engaging, and transformative. The farmers’ enthusiasm, the officials’ responsiveness, and the natural authenticity of the setting made the session not only successful but also truly inspiring. The experience reaffirmed that scaling discussions rooted in the real environment of farmers can achieve greater depth, trust, and collective motivation than any institutional exercise, turning assessment into celebration, and participation into empowerment.