"The stories in this volume were gathered as part of a Writeshop held in Nairobi on 9–10 November, in the context of the Access Agriculture Week 9–13 November, 2015. People are story-tellers as well as creatures who walk and make tools. Stories are important to us. Statistics tell us what happen ... ed; stories tell us why. These stories celebrate the creativity of the many organisations involved in making, translating, distributing, and screening videos, as well as those that do follow-up studies, especially the MSc and PhD students that Access Agriculture supports. We learn what it feels like to be involved in one of the more creative efforts in international development and communication. We read, for example, about the radio producer who began to make videos because his father, a Kenyan farmer, said that farmers wanted to see the images, as well as the words. We learn why farmers in Malawi find videos from West Africa more convincing than learning from lead farmers in their own villages. We read about the journalist in Benin who is so inspired by the videos that he has become a farmer himself. We learn what it’s like to translate a video script into an African language, and other personal experiences of getting videos and DVDs into the hands of farmers." (Foreword) more

"In 2008, an NGO showed videos about rice to farmers in 19 villages in Benin. A study in 2013 showed that farmers remembered the videos, even after five years had passed. In most of the villages at least some farmers experimented with rice farming or with new technology after the video screenings, w ... hich attracted large audiences of community members, including youth and women. Some of the villagers also visited extension agencies to get rice seed, and occasionally to seek more information. Farmers can benefit from agricultural learning videos shown by organisations with little previous agricultural experience. Videos do not necessarily need to be facilitated by an expert who knows the subject. Sometimes the video can speak for itself." (Abstract) more