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2. Exploring the role of agricultural extension in promoting biodiversity conservation in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Abdu-Raheem, Kamal Adekunle (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 16 Document Number: D10465
- Journal Title:
- Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
- Journal Title Details:
- 38(9): 1015-1032
- Notes:
- 19 pages., ISSN: 2168-3565 (Print) 2168-3573 (Online), Via online journal, Biodiversity conservation outside designated protected areas remains challenging in South Africa, where 80% of the biodiversity resources occur on private and communal lands. This applies to the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, which is the focus of this study. Landholders logically choose agricultural production ahead of conservation, which they often perform using non-ecological methods. Extension is well positioned to promote ecological agriculture, but its current contribution is unknown. This study examined the role of extension in ecological agriculture in KZN by investigating extension’s promotion of ecological agriculture among smallholder farmers and the factors impacting their employment of ecologically compatible practices. Data was collected through semistructured interviews with 44 respondents, comprising 5 provincial biodiversity conservation practitioners, 1 national biodiversity conservation manager, and 1 national and 4 provincial agricultural extension managers, selected by purposive sampling; as well as 25 extension officers and 8 farmers, selected by convenience sampling. The study found that extension mainly engages in technology transfer and distribution of production inputs, which poses challenges to biodiversity conservation. Extension shows little concern for biodiversity, and effectively promotes its degradation. Four sets of factors impacting extension’s capacity to promote ecological agriculture emerged: household/community-level, governmental, extension management, and ecological factors. Key among these were inadequate involvement of youth and men in agriculture; inadequate household production resources; poor collaboration and coordination between extension and biodiversity conservation institutions; top-down extension intervention; poor extension management and delivery capacities; and irregular and inadequate rainfall, as well as droughts and flooding. The study concluded that there is a need for a clearly articulated extension and biodiversity conservation policy supporting appropriate linkages and better coordination and integration of services among extension and biodiversity agencies within the National and Provincial Departments of Agriculture and with farmers; more effective agricultural education in schools; strengthening extension support systems; and creating conducive atmospheres for effective extension.
3. Families at Five: Extending Land-Grant Research Finding to Families
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Aberle, Jennifer T. (author), Fetsch, Robert J. (author), Haddock, Shelley A. (author), Peterson, Rick L. (author), and Zimmerman, Toni Schindler (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2005-04
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 160 Document Number: C26222
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 43(2)
- Notes:
- Online access; 4 p.
4. Provision of agricultural informtation to farmers and extension officers : a catalyst in increased agricultural production in Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Aina, L. O. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 1999
- Published:
- Africa
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C18688
- Journal Title:
- IAALD Quarterly Bulletin
- Journal Title Details:
- 36 (1-2) : 20-23
- Notes:
- Agricultural information needs of extension officers in Africa are identified as control of major pests, credit and co-operatives, proper handling of insecticides, marketing of agricultural products, etc. The information needs of farmers are identified to be in arears of the supply of fertilizers, pest and diseases control, planting materials and credits and loans. The emphasis on information needs of farmers is on "why," "who," "where," and "how" to obtain information. In order to understand the information needs of their client, librarians' and information specialists trainig and ecuation should be reoriented to include coursed on agricultural escienes, rural sociolgoy, adult education and computer sciences. The University of Botswana in agricultural information with the support of the Technical Centre for Agriculture (CTA), which is sponsoring the General Programme for Education, PROGEFIA. With the provision of appropriate and timely agricultural information to extension officers and farmers, an increase in agricultureal production in Africa may be attained.
5. Reorienting Priorities of Extension and Advisory Services in India during and Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Chander, Mahesh (author) and Rathod, Prakashkumar (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-07-01
- Published:
- India: Indian Journal of Extension Education
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 294 Document Number: D12489
- Journal Title:
- Indian Journal of Extension Education
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 56 (3)
- Notes:
- Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) are delivered by millions of extension professionals representing the public, private and civil society located across the globe and have been helping in addressing farmers’ needs over the years, including during COVID-19 pandemic situation. However, public sector has been a major agency dealing with EAS in India and is facing several challenges and constraints to fulfil the demands of farmers on timely basis. The challenge today is to change the organizational culture to incorporate innovation as a core value and to institutionalize the emerging paradigms. Further, different strategies and measures need to be taken to ensure timely and quality EAS by reorienting extension priorities in such emergency situations and later too. In this context, an effort to review the extension mechanism across India and also has focused on reorienting extension priorities post COVID-19 scenario. The study has highlighted on strengthening extension and feedback mechanism, improving research-extension linkages, capacity building, public-private partnership (PPP), developing infrastructure, mass media support and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) etc. to improve the efficiency as the time demands. The paper concludes that reorienting extension priorities is very essential with a vast network of various stakeholders by adapting effective approaches like utilization of social media, human resource development, PPP, farmer groups etc. during and post pandemic scenario. Further, empirical efforts are also needed to develop reliable, location-specific, participatory, gender-sensitive and inexpensive extension methodologies and materials to meet the demands during such crisis. Further, developing countries like India have to invest in terms of various resources like financial, human resource etc. for promoting higher productivity and sustainability through EAS.