Public policy in developing countries has failed to invest in educating farmers on how to deal with variable agro-ecosystems and a changing world. Here we present an assessment of a participatory training approach in changing crop protection by farmers from chemically dependent, to more sustainable practices in line with the tenets of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). We review the evidence from the studies on an educational investment designed to capacitate farmers to apply IPM, and discuss these data in the light of an on-going policy debate concerning cost effectiveness. The results indicate substantial immediate and developmental benefits of participation in Farmer Field Schools.