Improving Agricultural Extension

In the context of sustainable agricultural development, agricultural extension has a role to play in systematically identifying farmers' problems and needs, and helping formulate agricultural research agendas based on these needs. In this context, the body of knowledge on agricultural extension can only be expanded.

This publication, which is the third edition of a reference manual that was previously published in 1973 and 1984, offers a critical review and inventory-analysis of the "state of the art" in agricultural extension theory and best practices. It was prepared under a contract between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Program for Agricultural Knowledge System (INTERPAKS), College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States. It was published in 1997 and reprinted in 1998. The 220-page publication features 38 authors, who include extension practitioners, educators, and scholars, from 15 countries. The book is aimed at agricultural extension planners, managers, trainers, educators, and field practitioners. Its purpose is to improve the quality of agricultural extension and to generate new ideas and methods for increasing the cost-effectiveness of agricultural extension programmes.

The table of contents includes:

• Preface
• Introduction
• Part I - Overview of extension in agricultural and rural development
• Chapter 1 - The history, development, and future of agricultural extension
• Chapter 2 - Alternative approaches to organizing extension
• Chapter 3 - The context of extension in agricultural and rural development
• Chapter 4 - The economic contributions of agricultural extension to agricultural and rural development
• Part II - Improving extension programmes and processes
• Chapter 5 - Assessing target group needs
• Chapter 6 - Using rapid or participatory rural appraisal
• Chapter 7 - Developing and delivering extension programmes
• Chapter 8 - Selecting appropriate content and methods in programme delivery
• Chapter 9 - Improving women farmers' access to extension services
• Chapter 10 - Implementing strategic extension campaigns
• Chapter 11 - Evaluating extension programmes
• Part III - Improving extension management
  • Chapter 12 - Formulating extension policy
  • Chapter 13 - Improving the organization and management of extension
  • Chapter 14 - Managing human resources within extension
  • Chapter 15 - Training and professional development
  • Chapter 16 - Acquiring and managing financial resources
  • Chapter 17 - Monitoring extension programmes and resources
  • Chapter 18 - Establishing a management information system
  • Chapter 19 - Strengthening research-extension-farmer linkages
• Part IV - Current trends and development
• Chapter 20 - Extension's role in sustainable agricultural development
• Chapter 21 - Establishing and strengthening farmer organizations
• Chapter 22 - Privatizing agricultural extension
• Chapter 23 - The role of nongovernmental organizations in extension

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