Sounkoura Sidibé Adethomah
IITA/Bénin

Andreas Oswald, Sani Miko, Abou Berthe
Sasakawa Africa Association, Japan

Ma. Luján Mongelós
Federacion de Cooperativas de Production LTDA - FECOPROD

Julio C. Catullo
National Institute of Agricultural Technology INTA, Argentina

Ma. Isabel Paredes
Centro Latinoamericano para el Desarrollo Rural, Chile

Julio C. Catullo
National Institute of Agricultural Technology INTA, Argentina

Ma. Isabel Paredes
Centro Latinoamericano para el Desarrollo Rural, Chile

Fernando Landini
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

O. Idowu Oladele
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension. North West University, South Africa

Krishan Bheenick
Technical Centre for Agricultural & Rural Cooperation (CTA)

David J. Spielman and Simrin Makhija
International Food Policy Research Institute

Presentation held at the Furtue Agricultures Consortium, Institue of Development Studies from 6-7- December 2012.

This paper draws together experiences from across Asia to explore extension policy and the extension policy process. The paper argues that extension policy needs to tackle two major sets of issues. The first concerns the content in view of the broader role extension need to play in the present context of agriculture systems. The second issue concerns the nature of the policy process itself. Instead of prescribing reforms, the policy process should ideally facilitate continuous incremental change through experimentation, reflection and learning. Four cases are presented to illustrate the challenges involved in developing and implementing extension policy. The experiences indicate that reform processes only informed by prescriptions generated centrally or from outside are bound to fail. The message for extension policy in Asia is that the process of reform must be lead from within.

This brief focuses on three questions:

• What are the benefits of developing a policy framework for agricultural and rural extension systems?’
• What are the role and priorities of extension systems and how should they be developed?
• What support measures should be put in place to ensure that extension is delivered effectively in the region?

SPC Policy Brief #12

This Power Point Presentation gives an overview of the 2012 FAO report "The State of Food and Agriculture", which focuses on investment in agriculture for a better future.

The FAO publication, "The State of Food and Agriculture" carries a special report each year on a major theme in world agriculture, from the perspective of food insecurity and poverty.