Opinions Of Agricultural Extension Agents In Puerto Rico Regarding Sustainable Agriculture

The College of Agriculture in Puerto Rico is taking the initiative of implementing a training project on sustainable agriculture for both agronomists and farmers under the concept of training the trainers. The goal of the program is to foster the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices among the farmers in the mountanous region of Puerto Rico. The objectives of the program are to: (1) promote the use of sustainable farming practices among the farmers. (2) foster confidence in the economic viability of sustainable agricultural practices among the farmers and, (3) encourage sustainable agriculture practices among the farmers as an alternative to protect the environment. The concerns of the agronomists for the training will be included based on Huerta, 1996. A study on in-service training on sustainable agriculture in Puerto Rico will be utilized in designing the project. A series of Focus Groups will be developed prior to the training with group of farmers representative from the target population. The purpose of the Focus Group will be to establish the needs and concerns of farmers in respect to sustainable agriculture, and to access their preferred source of information on the subject-matter area.