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ProjectStrengthening the Capacity of Agricultural Extension Services in Central Asia on Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production - TCP/SEC/3601 2020
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No results found.Central Asia is in transition from a centrally administrated and planned economy to a private-sector driven and market economy. As a result of reforms, privatization and the transformation of farms, numerous private farms have been established, and former farm members have received their land share and established family farms. However, most rural farmers do not have an agricultural background, while extension systems do not exist or are very weak. In most Central Asian countries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been set up to provide extension services that were formerly provided by research institutes. In some countries, ministries of agriculture are attempting to take the lead role in developing extension systems. In Tajikistan, each village organization has recruited an agricultural specialist to provide extension services to farmers and rural populations. NGOs actively involved in the development of agriculture in countries of the region also closely cooperate with FAO and act as implementing partners in most projects. However, the technical knowledge and capacity of the NGO specialists need to be improved if they are to provide better services to farmers to enable the latter to improve crop production and increase yields. The aim of the project was to support public and private extension service providers (SPs) to improve technical capacities and enhance knowledge of modern crop management. The project would also facilitate countries to formulate a strategy for more effective agricultural extension. -
Book (stand-alone)Unlocking the potential of agriculture innovation for family farmers - Thematic catalogue for smallholder farmers to promote innovation 2018
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No results found.TECA is an FAO online platform for the exchange and sharing of agricultural technologies and practices for smallholder farmers and producers. The platform facilitates the transformation process in rural areas by making relevant and innovative technologies available to farmers in the field. In doing so, TECA further enhances the access to knowledge of smallholder producers in rural areas increasing their capacity to innovate and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This catalogue promotes a set of successful innovations for farmers on the occasion of the FAO International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers: Unlocking the potential of agricultural innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, which will be celebrated in FAO Headquarters on 2123 November 2018. The technologies presented are concrete actions that have solved specific development challenges and promote sustainable and inclusive rural transformations. The technologies and practices are designed following the FAOTECA platform standards and have been tested and refined in the field. Each practice supports smallholder farmers and those providing advisory services to agricultural producers, to identify specific needs, select the correct practices and to implement technologies adequately. Developed with the help of FAO in cooperation with the FAO Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and other key partners, the GIZ, ICRAF, IFOAM and Swisscontact, this catalogue aims at illustrating how sharing knowledge may unlock innovation throughout the farming process. -
Book (stand-alone)The Extension and Advisory Service Systems Yardstick (EAS-Y)
A scoring tool to generate evidence on performance and outcomes
2022Also available in:
No results found.Extension and advisory services (EAS) play a key role in facilitating innovation processes, empowering marginalized groups through capacity development, and linking farmers with markets. Advisory services are increasingly provided by a range of actors and funded from diverse sources. With the broadened scope of EAS and the growing complexity of the system, the quantitative performance indicators used in the past (e.g. related to investment, staffing or productivity) are not adequate anymore to understand whether the system is well-functioning. To enable evidence based and informed policy and investment decision for extension and advisory systems, the EAS-Yardstick (EAS-Y) has been developed through a consultative expert process. It constitutes a holistic scoring tool based on a comprehensive set of metrics that can capture all the nuances of the pluralistic EAS. Metrics are organized into two modules, related to EAS performance and to EAS outcomes, each subdivided into key EAS topics. These cover elements of the EAS enabling environment, scope and provision of services, and coordination, collaboration and learning in the system. At the outcome level, topics include the acquisition of skills, changes in behaviours and livelihood transformations. All metrics are operationalized through a scoring mechanism. EAS-Y is digitally enabled through the Kobo toolbox and is used for participatory assessments in various contexts. Assessments can support a systematic crosscountry analysis, complementing findings from more specific impact evaluations of EAS interventions or in-depth process evaluations. As such, it contributes to substantially enhance EAS system performance and outcomes by guiding investment and policy decisions.
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