Agricultural transformation and development are critical to the livelihoods of more than a billion small-scale farmers and other rural people in developing countries. Extension and advisory services play an important role in such transformation and can assist farmers with advice and information, brokering and facilitating innovations and relationships, and dealing with risks and disasters. Agricultural Extension: Global Status and Performance in Selected Countries provides a global overview of agricultural extension and advisory services, assesses and compares extension systems at the national and regional levels, examines the performance of extension approaches in a selected set of country cases, and shares lessons and policy insights. Drawing on both primary and secondary data, the book contributes to the literature on extension by applying a common and comprehensive framework — the “best-fit” approach — to assessments of extension systems, which allows for comparison across cases and geographies. Insights from the research support reforms — in governance, capacity, management, and advisory methods — to improve outcomes, enhance financial sustainability, and achieve greater scale. Agricultural Extension should be a valuable resource for policymakers, extension practitioners, and others concerned with agricultural development.

Agricultural transformation and development are critical to the livelihoods of more than a billion small-scale farmers and other rural people in developing countries. Extension and advisory services play an important role in such transformation and can assist farmers with advice and information, brokering and facilitating innovations and relationships, and dealing with risks and disasters. Agricultural Extension: Global Status and Performance in Selected Countries provides a global overview of agricultural extension and advisory services, assesses and compares extension systems at the national and regional levels, examines the performance of extension approaches in a selected set of country cases, and shares lessons and policy insights. Drawing on both primary and secondary data, the book contributes to the literature on extension by applying a common and comprehensive framework — the “best-fit” approach — to assessments of extension systems, which allows for comparison across cases and geographies. Insights from the research support reforms — in governance, capacity, management, and advisory methods — to improve outcomes, enhance financial sustainability, and achieve greater scale. Agricultural Extension should be a valuable resource for policymakers, extension practitioners, and others concerned with agricultural development.

Agricultural Extension Reforms in South Asia: Status, Challenges, and Policy Options is based on agricultural extension reforms across five South Asian countries, reflecting past experiences, case studies and experiments. Beginning with an overview of historical trends and recent developments, the book then delves into country-wise reform trajectories and presents several cases testing the effectiveness of different types (public and private) and forms (nutrition extension, livestock extension) of extension systems. Further, the book provides a comprehensive overview of challenges and constraints faced in formulating and implementing reforms, tying the results into a concrete set of lessons and highlighting areas that require further research. In addition, the book discusses how a major aspect of agricultural development is the productivity increase from the knowledge base of farmers, and how translating research results into a knowledge base for farmers requires designing and implementing well-functioning extension programs. - Presents the current challenges and solutions by region, and provides insights for application in global settings - Provides key foundational information for the effective and efficient design of future intervention programs - Includes workshops and presentations based on real-world research of specific aspects of extension systems and provision of advisory and consultation services to various governments

農業の変革と発展は、開発途上国の10億人以上の小規模農家をはじめ農村に 暮らす人々の生活にとって非常に重要である農業改良普及は、こうした変革 において重要な役割を果たし、アドバイス、情報提供、イノベーション、関係の仲介・促進、リスクや災害への対応などにより農民を支援することがで きる。本書は、農業改良普及の世界的な概要を示し、国および地域レベルの 改良普及システムを評価・比較し、以下の分野における改良普及アプローチ のパフォーマンスを検証している。本書は、一次データと二次データの両方 を用いて、共通かつ包括的な方法を適用することにより、改良普及に関する 研究に寄与するものである。改良普及制度の評価には、事例や地域間での比 較を可能にする「ベストフィット・アプローチ」という枠組みがある。その 枠組みは、成果を向上させ、財政的な持続可能性を高め、より大きな規模を 達成するためのガバナンス、能力、管理、助言方法などの改革を支援する手 がかりとなる。本書は、政策立案者、農業改良普及員、その他農業開発に関わる人々にとって、貴重な資料となると確信する。

Public and nonpublic extension and advisory services are both key to sustainable agriculture, resilient livelihoods, and inclusive growth1. The Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) has called for “the new extensionist”(Davis and Sulaiman 2014), emphasizing the functional competencies needed to help clientele cope with complex challenges such as climate change and nutrition. Since 2015 the GFRAS “New Extensionist Learning Kit” (NELK)has been equipping extension agents globally with functional competencies through face-to-face, online, and blended learning(AFAAS 2018). Competencies are defined in many different ways (Westera 2021). For this paper, we define competency simply as “the capability to perform actions which add value” (Mulder, 2012: 319). Functional competencies(the so-called soft skills, as distinct from more technical areas in agriculture, animal sciences, natural resources, etc.)have not been well documented in the academic literature, especially with respect to digitally enabled extension (Strong et al. 2014). According to Khalil and colleagues (2009), competencies such as leadership, communication, program planning, and evaluation are important factors for performance of extension staff. Digital skills are also becoming more important for extension officers. The utilization of digital technology (online modules, webinars) to deliver the NELK modules provides the opportunity to use expertise available globally to train many extension professionals at the same time. How ready, however, are extension officers globally to use such digital approaches –for continuous professional development and learning and also for outreach? Spielman and colleagues (forthcoming) developed an index of “digital readiness” of extension agents in Rwanda. Digital readiness is also referred to as Networked Readiness Index or Technology Index, and indicates the status and growth of information and communications technologies (ICT) and how ICTs are effectively used to achieve maximum benefits to the country and its citizens (Bharatula and Murthy 2020).

Agricultural extension provides the critical connection from agricultural innovation and discovery to durable improvements at scale, as farmers and other actors in the rural economy learn, adapt, and innovate with new technologies and practices. However, lack of capacity and performance of agricultural extension in lower- and middle-income countries is an ongoing concern. Research on agricultural extension and advisory services (in short, extension) has been an integral part of the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) since its inception. This brief synthesizes key findings from research funded by and linked to PIM from 2012 to 2021, presenting lessons learned and a vision for the future of extension. A list of all PIM-related extension and advisory services research is provided at the end. Designing and implementing effective provision of extension is complex, and efforts to strengthen extension services often fall into a trap of adopting “best practice” blueprint approaches that are not well-tailored to local conditions. An expansive literature examines the promises and pitfalls of common approaches, including training-and-visit extension systems, farmer field schools, and many others (Anderson and Feder 2004; Anderson et al. 2006; Waddington and White 2014; Scoones and Thompson 2009). To understand extension systems and build evidence for what works and where, the “best-fit” framework, a widely recognized approach developed by Birner and colleagues (2009) and adapted by Davis and Spielman (2017), offers a simple impact chain approach (Figure 1). The framework focuses on a defined set of extension service characteristics that affect performance: governance structures and funding; organizational and management capacities and cultures; methods; and community engagement — all of which are subject to external factors such as the policy environment, agroecological conditions, and farming-system heterogeneity. To enhance extension performance and, ultimately, a wide range of outcomes and impacts, new and innovative interventions can be applied and adapted within this set of extension characteristics.