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Guinea

Developing Local Extension Capacity

guinea

Extract of a study by the The Feed the Future Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project led by Digital Green, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Care International and GFRAS.

In Guinea, agriculture is the key livelihood for the majority of the nation’s people. Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world, and there are many challenges for rural agriculture: poor access to agricultural inputs, poor transport infrastructure, lack of investment, past government policies that did not promote agricultural production, the impact of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak (2014- 2015), and under-resourced and under-utilized agricultural extension services. Due to these factors, Guinea’s agricultural sector has underperformed in comparison to its actual agricultural potential.

Additionally, there are many opportunities through agriculture to face these challenges. Overall, agricultural extension and advisory services (EAS) and education for farmers are keys to increased overall agricultural productivity.

Rural extension and advisory services are defined by the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) as all the different activities that provide the information and services needed by farmers and other players in the innovation system to develop and build their technical, organizational and management capacities, so they can improve their quality of life and well-being (Christoplos, 2010). Therefore, EAS can encompass training for improved inputs and techniques to increase production, improved crop varieties, soil quality, cropping practices for staples and cash crops, minimizing the impact of climate change (e.g., reduced coastal rainfall (Jalloh et al, 2013)), livestock production, post-harvest handling, grain storage and improved marketing techniques/approaches.

Guinea’s current EAS system has been underfunded and underutilized, and the government and donors are working together to improve EAS delivery. This report, produced by Feed the Future’s Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project reviews Guinea’s EAS system to recommend areas for potential investment by government, donors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector and will serve to guide investors in EAS. Evidence generated from this desk review will contribute to the knowledge base for best-fit practices to build up EAS in Guinea. The modified DLEC best-fit conceptual framework that appears below guides the DLEC project overall and this report.

The Feed the Future Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project measurably improves extension programs, policies and services by creating locally-tailored, partnership-based solutions and by mobilizing active communities of practice to advocate for scaling proven approaches. The five-year (2016-2021) project is designed to diagnose, test and share best-fit solutions for agricultural extension systems and services across Feed the Future countries.

Led by Digital Green in partnership with Care International, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), DLEC is an action-oriented, evidence-based learning project that generates evidence through diagnostic studies and engagement activities, which in turn are used as a catalyst for mobilizing global and country-level communities of practice to advocate for improved EAS. The project’s diagnostic studies evaluate and analyze local EAS operating contexts and capacities for Feed the Future and aligned countries.

Full report: 

World Wide Extension Study

guineaThe World Wide Extension Study WWES provided empirical data on the human and financial resources of agricultural extension and advisory systems worldwide. The programme ran from 2009-2012 and was funded by USAID and managed by IFPRI in partnership with FAO (along with DAAS and CIRAD) and IICA.

Public Sector

Ministère de l'Agriculture et de l'Élevage - Ministry of Agriculture

  • National Agency Promoting Rural and Agricultural Consulting, ANPROCA

University-based Extension

Institut Supérieur Agronomique et Vétérinaire Valrey Giscard d’Estaing de Faranah, ISA

Non-Public Sector

Non-Governmental Organizations

  • Guinnean Integrated Animal Development Network
  • Farmers Network, Structure d'Appui aux Reseaux d'Agriculture / Agriculteurs, SARA 

Farmer Based Organizations

  • Foutah Diallon Farmers Federation 

Private Sector Organizations or Firms

  • Société d'Accompagnement et de Conseil en Agronomie, SACA SARL - Agronomy Support and Advice Company 

Publications

Diallo S.C., 2008. Evaluation des besoins en information agricole dans les états du groupe Afrique-Caraïbes-Pacifique (ACP). Afrique. Etude sur la Guinée. Wageningen, Centre technique de coopération agricole et rurale (CTA)

Rigourd C., Guilavogui K., Diallo P., 2008. Evaluation des dispositifs d’appuis aux organisations de producteurs en Guinée. Rapport final. Paris, IRAM

Koundouno J., 2009. Aide à la gestion des exploitations agricoles familiales en Guinée Forestière : Analyse des disposififs d’appui-conseil et propositions d’amélioration. Mémoire pour l’obtention du Master Acteurs du Développement Rural. France : Montpellier SupAgro.

Berthomé J., Pesche D., 2005. Mission d’appui à l’élaboration d’un modèle d’organisation des OP et appui à la formulation de leur sous composante. Conakry, Guinée, Ministère de l’agriculture et de l’élevage, SNPRV.

Related Resources

ASTI Agricultural Research and Development investments and capacity in Guinea: www.asti.cgiar.org/guinea

Institut de Recherche Agronomique de Guinée, IRAG. The Guinean Institute for Agricultural Research is the country’s main agricultural R&D agency, employing two-thirds of the country’s agricultural research staff and accounting for two-thirds of its national agricultural R&D expenditures. 

Stads, Gert-Jan; Béavogui, Famoï; Diawara, Sékou. 2010. Guinea. Recent developments in agricultural research. Washington, D.C. Conakry: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Guinean Institute for Agricultural Research. (Brief)

Stads, Gert-Jan; Béavogui, Famoï; Diawara, Sékou. 2010. Guinée. Le point sur la recherche agricole du secteur public. ASTI Country Note Washington D.C. Conakry: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Institut de Recherche Agronomique de Guinée. (Brief)

List of Extension Providers

icon target The following list shows an excerpt from the GFRAS Directory of Extension Providers for Guinea. Some of these entries may be specially marked for having more detailed information in the database of the Worldwide Extension Study WWES.