Participatory plant breeding is seen by several scientists as a way to overcome the
limitations of conventional breeding by offering farmers the possibility of deciding
which varieties better suit their needs and conditions without exposing them to any risk.
It exploits the potential gains of breeding for specific adaptation through the selection in
the marginal environment. The participation of farmers increases the probability and
speed of adoption as well as the breeding efficiency and the effectiveness of the breeding
program.
The objective of this study is to estimate and compare the benefits and costs of
participatory and conventional barley breeding programs. Benefit-cost analysis was used
to analyze the costs and benefits of the PPB program at ICARDA and the conventional
program at ICARDA and NARS
