The Community Resource Person (CRP) model in India is a community-driven approach to development and empowerment, particularly in rural areas. It involves identifying and training individuals from local communities to act as extension service providers, advisers, and mobilizers to address various socio-economic challenges and promote sustainable development. 

Under the SAFAL project more than 140+ CRP trainers (Train the Trainer, ToT) and 500+ CRPs and have been trained between 2021 and 2023 in Assam and Odisha. CRPs themselves are aquaculture farmer belonging to the local farmer institutions who are supporting up to 25 farmers. Up to now, CRPs are providing trainings and extension and advisory services to more than 7.000 farmers in rural areas on sustainable aquaculture practices to their communities. 

The selection process of CRPs involves several step starting from registration, selection among co-created criteria as well as following recommendations from farmer institutions such as Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Self-Help-Groups (SHGs) followed by an intensive capacity building course. 

The training, likewise, for CRPs and CRP-to-farmers, are conducted in tailored sessions conducted with the help of Knowledge Products (KPs) and Information, Education & Communication (IEC) material, such as the Farmer’s Handbook, a Training Manual for Trainers, the Farm Record Book and various training material. Those were co-created among scientists, government officials, experts in sustainable aquaculture practices, aquaculture operators and SAFAL technical to fit the exact needs of the local farmers. 

The training cascade contains basic and advanced modules using the didactic methodology for easy adoption of adult learning. The program consists of 30 per cent classroom and 70 per cent hands-on training as well as exposure visits to state-of-the arts hatcheries and research and educational institutions within different states. Making it accessible and inclusive to farmers all over, it is translated into local languages and designed in a way that it can be held in remote and rural areas using flipbooks, posters, and pamphlets to teach without access to electronics. 

CRPs are based within their farmer institutions (FPOs, FPCs, SHGs) and are motivated by social, environmental, and financial incentives, including selling goods and services, and facilitating access to finance.

Through this self-financed CRP model, thousands of small-scale farmers are empowered with knowledge and resources. This ground-level approach boosts yields within planetary boundaries while ensuring nutrition and food security.

You can find more information about the training materials (knowledge products and Information, Education & Communication material) and download them in the building block: Knowledge Products and Information, Education & Communication Material. 

It refers to the joint participation of the nature reserve or neighboring communities and the nature reserve in the management and protection of the natural resources of the nature reserve, so that the natural resources of the nature reserve can be rationally developed and utilized, the biodiversity of the nature reserve can be protected, and the living standard of the community residents can be promoted.
 

Problems to be solved: give full play to the initiative of community residents, so that community residents participate in the management of the reserve, solving the problem of insufficient management personnel; establish trust and a good relationship between the reserve management bureau and the village collectives, which is conducive to the long-term sustainable development of the reserve.
 

Solution: Establish the “Mulinzi Reserve Co-construction and Co-management Committee”, specifically responsible for the leadership, command, supervision and coordination of the construction and management of the Mulinzi Reserve. Through the participation of many parties and the initiative of the local community, it will coordinate the relationship between the protection and utilization of natural resources, and promote the effective protection of biodiversity in the Mulinzi Reserve and the sustainable development of the regional economy.

Compensation for ecological protection refers to the incentive system arrangement of compensating units and individuals who carry out ecological protection in accordance with regulations or agreements through mechanisms such as financial vertical compensation, inter-regional horizontal compensation and market mechanism compensation. Ecological protection and restoration refers to a method of comprehensively restoring damaged ecosystems through biological restoration, physical restoration, chemical restoration as well as engineering and technical measures under the guidance of ecological principles, aiming to improve the quality and stability of ecosystems.
 

Problems to be solved: It is necessary to seek financial project funding support at all levels to ensure that the project can be implemented on the ground; it is necessary to fully understand the wishes of community residents and consult the relevant village committees before determining the planting varieties and the number and area of the planting; good planting techniques and rich experience in field management are required.
 

Solution: Include the community ecological protection compensation and restoration project in the central financial forestry and grassland ecological protection and restoration funds project to ensure that the project funds are in place; organize sharpshooter classes to go to the households to understand the community people's willingness to develop; hire professional cooperatives experts to carry out training to guide farmers in planting and field management.

 

The intention is to ensure access and availability of water for farmers and for domestic use and irrigation purposes for pastoralists in the community. Farm-led irrigation will help farmers be able to carry out year round agricultural activity, which will contribute to increased food production as well as improving livelihoods.

The ACReSAL project collaborates with three key ministries: Environment, Agriculture, and Water Resources. It operates across multiple institutional levels, including state, national, local, and community levels. This approach ensures that project implementers at all ministerial levels have their capacities strengthened, thereby sustaining the project's investments and efficient landscapes management.

The ACReSal portfolio aims to lift 3.4 million Nigerians out of poverty, recognising that land degradation is a key factor contributing to poverty. A crucial tool in achieving climate smart agricultural initiative while also promoting environmental sustainability. The lease of land by both the private and government sector will enable landless farmers to farm and improve their livelihoods.

Enhance community's capacity to manage the environment, recognizing that over 80% of environmental issues occur in rural areas. This underscores the importance of upskilling and empowering them to improve environmental management.