Research and development can no longer be the exclusive domain of scientists. To find sustainable solutions to development problems, a wider range of actors must be involved. It is crucial, for example, that local stakeholders provide input to the process. Participatory research and development (PR & D) offers such an inclusive model.

This three-volume sourcebook provides easy access to field-tested PR & D concepts and practices for practitioners, researchers, and academic. As well, it presents a comprehensive overview of PR & D and will serve as a general reference for trainers, policymakers, donors, and development professionals. The sourcebook captures and examines PR & D experiences from over 30 countries, illustrating applications in sustainable crop and animal production, forest and watershed management, soil and water conservation, and postharvest and utilization.

Volume 1 focuses on typologies and concepts, approaches, participatory technology development, and participatory natural resource management. Volume 2 examines capacity building, networking and partnerships, and scaling up and institutionalization. Volume 3 looks at technology development, strengthening local organizations, and multistakeholder-based natural resource management. Each volume includes a glossary, a list of recommended publications, contact addresses of contributors, and directories of Web sites and e-groups. The three-volume set comes with a CD-Rom containing the core articles from the three books, along with 15 additional papers.