Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Re: What role can agricultural extension and advisory services play in realizing gender equality and improved nutrition?

Dear All

Greetings from Ethiopia

One critical challenge in the extension and advisory service is the poor linkage between technology generators (academia/research) and extension or advisory service delivery (to disseminate the technology) and farmers linkages are also weak and affects the rate of adoption. As a result of such gaps research agenda are not often demand driven (needs and priorities of women are rarely brought to research agenda. This linkage gap also affects feedback generation form the end users (farmers) to initiate technology refinement or adoption. Strengthening this linkage and involving the private sector in this linkage is very important .The proven technologies can go to mass production and supply through the private sector possibly with credit facilities in order to increase the adoption rate. In the absence of such integration and linkages the marginalized group such as women will not have access to information and the new technologies.

I also believe that emphasis on economic objectives of Extension (production increase etc. etc.) and inadequate attention to the social objectives human wellbeing, nutrition, mind set etc.) has contributed to the observed gap.

The extension service delivery should pay due attention to decrease the workload of women so as to engage them not only on practical gender needs but also on their strategic gender needs (their political participation, leadership enhancement, access to information/knowledge etc.)

Also, in many rural setting there are few female extension agents to closely work with women groups to sensitize them, building their capacity, work not only on income poverty but also on human poverty to expand women choices. This will contribute to sustainable human development and mainstreaming of gender.

Furthermore, project socio economic survey/baseline studies should address the needs of both men and women and the monitoring indicators should be gender sensitive in order to track progress using gender.

Finally, I also suggest nutrition education be mainstreamed in the Education system particularly at university level and development agents working at community level should be trained in nutrition and measurement of key nutrition indicators.

Regards

Takele Teshome, Association for Sustainable Development Alternatives (ASDA)