This paper describes the rationale for a change from conventional extension towards participatory innovation development and extension. The "Conservation Tillage Project" and the "Food Security Project" developed such an approach and have embarked on institutionalisation of this approach into the agricultural extension service in Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe. Dialogue with farmers, farmer experimentation and the strengthening ofself-organisational capacities of rural communities are the major elements to improve development and spreading of innovations, thus the efficiency of extension. The new approach requires a role change of agricultural extension workers from teacher to facilitator as well as appropriate methods and tools. Elements of "Training for Transformation" and Participatory Rural Appraisal(PRA) were tested and developed and were found to be effective tools. The strategy to institutionalise participatory extension is based on joining efforts and networking with other organisations, a campaign to familiarise institutional staff and a training and follow-up programme for staff in the framework of organisational development. The experiences show that the attitudinal change required to implement participatory approaches is highly depended on personalities. To have an impact on the change of attitudes a continuous medium-term training process with a close follow-up is required. The paper concludes that institutionalisation of participatory approaches into hierarchically structured organisations is a highly complex intervention. In order to besuccessful, major changes in planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation procedures are required. Changes of that nature require a process of at least 5 to 10 years and high commitment on the side of institutional staff on all levels and donors as well.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 94 Document Number: C07136
Notes:
James F. Evans Collection, In: Communication research in progress, Iowa State University. Presented to NCR-90 meeting, October 25-27, 1988. Mimeograph. p. 1-5
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 82 Document Number: C04871
Notes:
James F. Evans Collection, In: Paul D. Warner and Raymond Campbell, eds. Proceedings of a Regional Workshop on Agricultural and Community Development Interface, October 8-11, 1989, Williamsburg, VA. Mississippi State, MI: Southern Rural Development Center, 1990. (SRDC Publication No. 131) p. 53-60.
Kamran, M. (author), Anjum, M. (author), Rehman, M. (author), Kamran, M. Asif (author), Saleemi, F. (author), and Department of Computer Science, Virtual University of Pakistan, Lahore, Pakistan
Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan
Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Government College Women University, Sialkot, Pakistan
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2016-03
Published:
Pakistan: Asianet-Pakistan
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 164 Document Number: D08242
Omolayole, Michael O. (author / Chairman, Omolayole and Associates)
Format:
Conference paper
Publication Date:
1990
Published:
Nigeria
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 93 Document Number: C06878
Notes:
sustainability, see C06875 for complete proceedings, In: Lawani, S.M. and Odemwingie, T., eds. Media forum for agriculture : proceedings of the inauguration ceremony, IITA, Ibadan, April 9, 1990. Ibadan, Nigeria : International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, 1990. p. 15-17
Bu Zhong (author), Fan Yang (author), Yen-Lin Chen (author), and College of Communication, Pennsylvania State University
Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2015
Published:
Elsevier
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 16 Document Number: D10462
10 pages., Via online journal., Agricultural extension systems often fail due to inadequate knowledge of farmers’ information needs and sharing strategies. This study aims to meet an urgent need of studying information needs and sharing strategies among vegetable farmers and vendors in Chengdu, China, whose results might be used in building a center of agricultural information disseminating vegetable production and marketing information. The findings disclose interesting differences between the farmers and vendors regarding their willingness to join such a center, information needs, sharing strategies and preferred information sources. Ample evidences justify the construction of the proposed center of agricultural information, which should not only empower the vegetable farmers and vendors but also enhance the efficiency of the existing vegetable supply chain and food security. Cross-discipline research involving both agriculture and communication scholars, like this, should shed more insights on working out strategies to cope with agricultural challenges.
Reisner, INTERPAKS, Information flow among research and extension organizations has traditionally been portrayed as emanating from the research system. An alternative perspective of information flow in the research and extension system expands the number of participants in the model to include farmers, agribusiness people, legislators, government officials, and scientists. This perspective adds three dimensions previously neglected: the researcher is seen as producing research in response to demands of clients; it is recognized that some clients have more access to the research system than others; diffusion is seen largely as giving certain clients what they initially requested. This perspective is illustrated by the information flows that must take place in sorghum research.
Cross, Timothy L. (author), Dobbins, Craig L. (author), Fuller, Earl I. (author), and King, Robert P. (author)
Format:
Guide
Publication Date:
1994
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 94 Document Number: C07180
Notes:
James F. Evans Collection, St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Minnesota, 1994. 38 p. (Station Bulletin 604-1994; North Central Regional Research Publication 337).
