Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through participatory research: long-term impacts of farmer participation on sustainable land use and livelihoods in Honduras
Authors: Gómez Marvin , Humphries Sally , Kindsvater Sebastian , Jiménez José , Orellana Paola , Wyngaarden Sara , Dodd Warren 
Published: February 2025

Background

This study describes a long-term farmer innovation project (local farmer research committees (Spanish acronym: CIALs)) in a remote hillside region of Honduras that has succeeded in intensifying land use under annual food crops towards sustainable food and agroforestry production. The findings add to evidence of what actually happens in long term participatory development and also suggest how some of the Sustainable Development Goals are being met in practice. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare the characteristics of the CIAL program members to non-members; (2) to examine how the CIAL program contributed to changes in sustainable land use practices among small-scale farmers in the hillsides of rural Honduras; and (3) to describe how the changes facilitated through farmer participation within the CIAL program connect to broader efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty alleviation, food security, and sustainable land management. Data for the study were drawn from two household surveys (2013 and 2017) conducted in the three rural municipalities of Yorito, Sulaco, and Victoria, Honduras. Survey data were complemented by ongoing, long-term ethnographic research and engagement.

Results

Comparisons were made between old CIAL members (5 or more years of membership), new CIAL members (less than 5 years of membership), and non-members (no participation in CIALs). In 2013, benefits of CIAL membership appeared primarily concentrated among CIAL members. Of note, 88.2% of old CIAL members and 73.6% of new CIAL members reported that their income had improved because of CIAL membership. CIAL members were also more likely to invest in household resources and agricultural activities as well as hold savings than non-members. Over time, participatory bean breeding conducted through the CIALs has made improved bean seed available to all three study groups, which has translated into improved bean yields across households. Furthermore, data suggest that sustainable agricultural practices have scaled across study locations.

Conclusions

Farmer participatory research and plant breeding have succeeded in increasing yields of maize and beans, helping to alleviate food insecurity among hillside farmers, as well as providing a source of income, primarily through bean sales. Furthermore, land previously held under extensive food cultivation has been converted to coffee production, mostly in conjunction with agroforestry, supporting additional income and savings. Scaling this initiative to small scale farmers through distribution of improved maize and bean seed is underway across Honduras. The experience from the Honduran hillsides provides evidence of the impacts of long-term participatory development and, simultaneously, of a possible route towards achievement of some of the Sustainable Development Goals.