Transforming extension and advisory services
Over the last 30 years, national Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) worldwide have undergone some major changes. Single main public extension systems have made way for pluralistic systems, where services are provided by different actors, including the private sector, non-governmental organizations and farmer organizations.
There has also been a movement from centralized top-down systems to ones where decisionmaking has been delegated to the local level; and from systems that are entirely publicly funded to ones in which an increasing amount of the financial support comes from other sources and where specific advisory services have been privatized. In addition, digital technologies are now increasingly accessible and being used by EAS providers to reach smallholders and family farmers.
EAS providers also offer a much broader range of services than before because farmers are increasingly part of value chains that extend from input suppliers to consumers. More information is required as farmers may need to adapt their farming systems to climate change and other environmental and external threats.
All of these changes mean that providers of EAS have increasingly taken on new, non-traditional roles and functions. However, they often lack the human and technical capacities, adequate investments and incentives for these changes.
Assessment of national extension and advisory services
FAO is developing guidelines to assess the functioning of EAS at the national level. To assist countries in making evidence-based decisions regarding EAS, FAO is working on methodologies, improved indicators to capture the performance of the service provision, critical results brought by EAS and the complexity of pluralistic interactions and innovation processes. The assessment guidelines have been tested to varying degrees in different countries, including Azerbaijan, Ecuador, India, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Tajikistan, Uganda, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Digital extension
FAO is assisting national EAS to advance digital agriculture transformation through two main pathways. First, by enhancing the delivery, scope and impact of EAS for smallholder farmers through digital innovations, including both emerging technologies (such as blockchains, artificial intelligence and the Internet of things) and accessible digital tools (e.g. mobile phones, knowledge management platforms and e-extension). Second, by strengthening capacities of advisors and farmers to contribute effectively to the digitalisation of agri-food systems considering potential risks and opportunities. FAO has provided assistance on digital extension in Azerbaijan and Tunisia in the context of the EAS reform process.
Policy guidance for reform of EAS
FAO provides its member countries with advice and policy support to manage the design and implementation of an effective reform of national EAS. It has developed a series of “How to do” briefs with guidance for policy-makers in a concrete, illustrative and user-friendly way.
FAO works actively with the key global, regional and subregional actors in EAS. These include the Global Forum of Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), launched in 2010, where FAO is a member of its Governing Board. These also include regional networks, such as the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), Asia-Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services Network (APIRAS), Latin American Network on Rural Extension Services (RELASER), European Forum for Farm and Rural Advisory Services (EUFRAS) and 15 other subregional networks.
Related links
Publications
Publications
Making extension and advisory services nutrition-sensitive
2021
The link between agriculture and human nutrition
Publications
Indicator framework for national extension and advisory service systems
2022
Metrics for performance and outcome measurement
Publications
Comprehensive assessment of national extension and advisory service systems An operational guide
2022
An operational guide
