Rural advisory services/extension and advisory services (RAS/EAS) models are influenced by a number of factors and emerging issues that can determine best practices in the development of extension policy. These emerging issues are extremely valuable in creating RAS/EAS policy and must be considered in the development of innovative extension models. They include: participatory, farmer-led decision-making; privately-led extension and public–private partnerships; gender equality; ICT and mass extension; value chain marketing; and building partnerships. 

Four policy cornerstones should also be addressed in efforts to build an effective RAS/ EAS model for sustainable development. These cornerstones include capacity building and technical assistance to support the following extension policy areas: land tenure and information reform; access to credit for smallholders; innovative technical subject matter training, demonstration plots and farmer to farmer Extension; 

Approaches to gender-responsive policy design and implementation processes have largely focused on increasing women’s participation in governance structures and building their political leadership capacity in parliamentary procedure, negotiation, networking, and public speaking. Using the Women in Development (WID) approach, gender policy advocates have historically sought to position women as active contributors to development and to draw attention to key issues in policy environments that do not fully embrace gender equality (Razavi & Miller 1995; Baden & Goetz 1998). While these efforts have increased the number of women in governance, it is difficult to discern whether they have resulted in laws and policies that are more responsive to women’s priorities (World Bank 2011; Domingo et al. 2015; Evans & Nambiar 2013). By contrast, more recent approaches to policy design and implementation, illustrated by the examples in this note, emphasise the co-creation of equitable policy environments by engaging both men and women.

This article explores possibilities for strengthening the capacity of rural advisory services (RAS) actors to become involved in advocacy and dialogue on policy reform and action. RAS actors include individuals and organisations in the agricultural innovation systems that play a role in RAS and/or need to be included in RAS policy dialogue processes. These include governments, research/education institutions, farmers’ organisations, civil society organisations, the private sector, donors, input suppliers and agro-dealers. The article is based on practical experiences from the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) and the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS). 

“How can Rural Advisory Services (RAS) reach millions of smallholder farmers in a poverty oriented, ecological, and financially sustainable way?” This was the starting question of a one-year learning process undertaken by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s (SDC’s) Agriculture and Food Security Network. The learning process began in September 2014 with a review of project documents and selected key informant interviews pertaining to long-term SDC-financed rural advisory projects in Vietnam, Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal and Kyrgyzstan. Also considered were RAS systems in China and India, where development partners play a lesser role. The book’s reflections on 20 years of experiences in Asia articulates the lessons learned and provides recommendations on how RAS systems can best reach out to large numbers of agricultural women and men producers in a poverty-oriented, ecological and financially sustainable way. 

This document summarises the major conclusions of participants of the 5th GFRAS Annual Meeting, held in Spetember 2014, regarding the relevance of an evidence-based RAS policy environment, how RAS policies should look, and how they can be influenced the 5th GFRAS Annual Meeting

The author asks the question, how evidence can best be prepared, packaged and made available to have the highest chance of impact (influencing the policy process).

This paper aims at learning lessons from recent extension policymaking practices in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger in West Africa. Similar policymaking processes lead to context-based extension policy content. However, extension policy should include (i) strategic partnerships with the private sector, research and education organizations, (ii) self-renewal mechanisms for responding to environmental changes, and (iii) mechanisms for national extension systems to take advantage of global experiences of policymaking, implementation, and evaluation.

It is commonly accepted that evidence is relevant to design and implement RAS policies. Nonetheless, what kind of evidence is relevant and how evidence relates to effective and efficient RAS policies still must be discussed and clarified. 

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.

This is a presentation on the Agricultural Extension Policies in Nigeria and Ghana.

As part of SOW, identify and review at least three examples of existing agricultural extension policy documents from other countries in Africa and consult with experts who have been involved in preparing those documents.

Vickie Sigman, University of Illinois, USA, 2012

As part of SOW, identify and review at least three examples of existing agricultural extension policy documents from other countries in Africa and consult with experts who have been involved in preparing those documents. Although Bangladesh is not in Africa, its policy is selected for review because follow-up studies provide useful lessons learned and weaknesses of the policy which can be used to inform Liberia’s policy.

Vickie Sigman, University of Illinois, USA, 2012

The Case of Uganda’s Extension Reform Process 1996 – 2011

For those policy-makers who would like to refresh their knowledge of the concept of extension, this is a practical guide to provide need- and demand-based knowledge and skills to rural men, women and youth in a non-formal,  participatory manner, with the objective of improving their quality of life. The function of extension may be applied to several subjects, both agricultural  and non-agricultural,  such as health; when it is applied to agriculture, it is called agricultural extension.

Linking knowledge to policy and action for food and livelihoods

Charlie Pye-Smith, CTA, 2012 

Policy Brief on a bill for protecting and empowering farmers in Indonesia.

This paper reviews the features of agricultural extension models and policy in selected sub- Saharan Africa countries. This is based on the premise that the discussion of extension policy in SSA countries can not be isolated from the extension models that are applied in these countries. While the models are direct products of the type of policy that has been adopted, the policy dictates the models to be used in each country.