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Extension, Education and Communication for Development
The mission of the Extension, Education and Communication for Development Service (SDRE) is to contribute – through support to agricultural and rural extension, education and communication - to efforts to resolve the pressing problems of Member Countries on food security and poverty alleviation. The service focuses on strengthening the capacity of governments and development organizations to help rural men, women and youth obtain the knowledge and skills they need to improve their productivity, incomes and quality of life, and manage in sustainable ways the natural resources on which they depend.
Priorities of the Regional Office
Includes support and technical assistance to member countries in the following areas:
§ Strengthening national extension systems and enhancing their capacity to perform their important role in sustainable agricultural and rural development;
§ Strengthening national education systems to address the educational needs of rural people;
§ Initiating and strengthening rural youth development programmes with special focus on activities leading to better education, training and rural-based livelihoods and income-generating opportunities;
§ Capacity building in information and communication technologies (ICT) for agricultural education and extension institutions and facilitation of effective research, extension and education linkages at the national and regional levels.
Strengthening extension for Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development
The Near East Region, once the cradle of agriculture, is now food deficit and for many years has been the largest food importer among developing regions. Opportunities for expanding cultivated area in the region are minimal. Much of the hope for achieving higher levels of self reliance in food and agricultural products is pinned on a combination of new technology, better farm practices, favorable government policies and more rational water and land use. Prime responsibilities for addressing these solutions to achieve food security and sustainable agricultural and rural development in the region falls on the Research and Extension Systems.
In light of the above, and in order to assist member countries and relevant FAO units in developing programmes and activities that will strengthen and improve agricultural technology generation, adaptation, and dissemination in the region, the Regional Office, in collaboration with the Government of Jordan, held a regional workshop on “Institutional Needs Assessment for Agricultural Research, Technology Development and Extension in the Near East”. The workshop, held in Amman/Jordan, 29 – 31 May 2002, analyzed issues, constraints and opportunities facing agricultural research, technology development and extension in the Near East. Core papers shed light on those national, regional and global factors affecting the performance of national systems dealing with agricultural research, extension and technology development. Recommendations for concrete action were formulated into a collaborative Framework for Action for the consideration and action of governments and donors, as well as regional and international development organizations, calling for renewed interest and support for agricultural research and extension in the region.
Education for Rural Development and Food Security:
High illiteracy rates in rural areas, especially among women (exceeding 90% in some areas) has proved to be a serious obstacle in implementing programmes for sustainable rural development in many countries in the Near East and other developing regions. Despite improvements made in national education systems and higher overall literacy rates achieved, the rural/urban education gap still persists. In many countries of the region, illiteracy rates in rural areas are higher compared to urban areas, access to education is lower; quality of education is poorer and curricula are urban-biased and irrelevant to the needs of rural people.
To assist Member Countries in addressing these issues at the global, regional and national levels, FAO and UNESCO have initiated a new flagship with a focus on Education For Rural People , within the global initiative of Education For All (EFA). This initiative seeks to address rural-urban disparities, through encouraging countries to develop national plans of action addressing the educational needs of rural people as part of the national plans of action for EFA. It builds on the comparative advantages of partner institutions to better address rural people’s needs in education, and supports the exchange of good practices and knowledge on education for rural development.
Under this initiative, FAO assists Member Countries in analysing their existing education approaches in order to meet the needs of rural people and, as appropriate, formulate interventions that incorporate such processes within Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS). In July 2002, the Government of Egypt entered into partnership with FAO in promoting education for the rural people in Egypt, and preparing a plan of action for education in rural areas that would be part of National Plan of Action on ‘Education for All.’
For comments and/or further information, please contact: may.hani@fao.org
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Related Activities:
- FAO Regional Workshop on Institutional Needs Assessment for Agricultural Research, Technology Development & Extension in the Near East Region, 29-31 May, 2002, Amman, Jordan.
 
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