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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. Farmer participation in research : a model for adaptive research and education
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Gerber, John M. (author / Director, University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension Service, Amherst, MA)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 1994
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 97 Document Number: C08025
- Journal Title:
- American Journal of Alternative Agriculture
- Journal Title Details:
- 9 (1/2) : 118-121
- Notes:
- search through journal, Many farmers view with skepticism the dominant agricultural research and extension education model, in which knowledge on farming practices is developed by researchers and delivered through extension programs. The participatory research and education model is designed to support a shared vision of research and education as a learning process among partners working in community. The participatory model is offered as a way to achieve better communication and enhanced cooperation among farmers, researchers and extension educators. (original)
4. Farmers’ assessment of the effectiveness of extension communication methods used in Ogbomoso agricultural zone of Oyo-State, Nigeria
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Yekinni, Oyedeji. T. (author) and Afolabi, Christiana. O. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- unknown
- Published:
- African Journals Online
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 122 Document Number: D11144
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 23(3):126-134
- Notes:
- 9 pages., via online journal., This study assessed the effectiveness of extension communication methods used in disseminating information to farmers in Ogbomoso Agricultural zone of Oyo State. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 120 respondents. Data were analysed using frequency, percentage, standard deviation, mean, median and mode statistics. The findings show that the extension communication methods used for farmers were farm visit (89.2%) and home visit (78.5%), contact farmers (73.3%) and method demonstration (51.7%). Contact farmers, farm visits and home visit were the most frequently used communication strategies by extension agencies while farm visit (x=1.57) was the most preferred extension method to receive information and technologies and respondents perceived the extension communication methods used to be moderately effective. The study recommends that extension officers should consider the use of communication methods preferred by the farmers to communicate information to them.
5. Resistance to change: fact or fiction?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Byrnes, Francis C. (author / International Rice Research Institute)
- Format:
- Paper
- Publication Date:
- 1964-11-06
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: Byrnes2 Document Number: C12233
- Notes:
- Francis C. Byrnes Collection, Presentation at the Weekly Forum, U.S. Agency for International Development, Manila, Philippines. 14 p.
6. Seed fairs and the case of Marambo village, Nachingwea district, Tanzania: implications of local informal seed supply and variety development for research and extension
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Nathanials, Nicolas Q. R. (author) and Mwijage, Amos (author)
- Format:
- Paper
- Publication Date:
- 2000
- Published:
- Tanzania: Overseas Development Institute, Agricultural Research and Extension Network
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 132 Document Number: C20001
- Notes:
- Burton Swanson Collection, 7 pages; Network paper no. 101
7. The information needs of extension constituents
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Batte, Marvin T. (author / Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH)
- Format:
- Conference paper
- Publication Date:
- 1994
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 98 Document Number: C08040
- Notes:
- James F. Evans Collection, In: The Information Age: what it means for extension and its constituents. Columbia, MO: Cooperative Extension Service, University of Missouri, 1994. (Proceedings of a North Central Region Extension workshop for marketing and management specialists, May 24-26, 1994, St. Louis, MO.) p. 11-22