Building the Value Case for Extension

Suresh Babu, IFPRI

June 5, 2015, MEAS Symposium, Washington D.C

Building the Value Case for Extension 

• Poverty, hunger and malnutrition - a major development challenge

• Smallholder farmers productivity – key to increasing food security and poverty reduction

• Rapid transformation of food and agricultural systems

• Strategic innovations needed – differentiated by context and stage of development

• Extension remains a major missing link between innovation and productivity gains

• With emerging private sector extension comes new set of challenges and opportunities

Emerging Challenges

Extension Policies should also reflect Country’s Stage of Transformation

Increased productivity among smallholder farmers (e.g. smallholder-friendly investment and access to finance)

Cross-sectoral social safety nets to protect during shocks and acquire skills to undertake more productive activities

Institutional reform to facilitate

consolidation of farms and

movement out of agriculture

High-value agriculture

Improved links to global and urban markets

Agriculture-based Transforming Transformed

Extension Transformation Figure 2.2 Stylized Trends in the Nature of EAS and Extension Transformation

Public Extension

NGOs

ICT

PPP

Plural

HR

FBOs

High Level

Farmer organizations/ Producer Association (FBOs) Use of ICT

Private Sector Extension Human Resources and Skills for Advisory Services (HR)

Role of Public Sector Extension

Intensity of pluralistic extension sources/approaches

Public/ Private/ Partnerships

Private

Role of NGOs

Private Extension

Case for Extension? Policy – program – implementation – impact Extension reforms – How to design and implement? Individual capacity Organizational and institutional architecture Systems Capacity

Operational Framework for Assessing, Analyzing, and Acting on Extension Reforms

Analysis of Factors Affecting the Successful Performance of Extension Systems (Babu et al, 2015)

Relevance Effectiveness Efficiency Sustainability Impact EquityInternal Factors Crop production

(quality and timing) Timing of operations for

cultivation Timely supply of inputs Timely purchase of

outputs Market advice

Post-harvest handling

Leadership/ vision Organized teams Coordination with

farmer groups Collaboration with input

dealers and credit institutions

Partnerships with public extension

Research-extension linkages

Optimal farmers per extension agent

24/7 call center 48 hour response Farmer training centers Internal coordination

with cost recovery

Sustained supply of outputs

Productivity vs. land expansion

Integrated pest management

Controlling water irrigation

Value addition Market for processed

outputs

Profitability Labor saving Effective social capital Network with other

service providers Achievement-oriented

professionals Competitiveness

increase

Differential engagement of farmers for skill development

Differential pricing of outputs

Help smallholders with specific technology packages

Quality control support Value addition support

External Factors Location of processing facility

Public policy for employment

Incentives for problem solving

Recognition and public investment

Presence of research units

Farmer interest groups Hire purchase investors Presence of farmer

support

Pricing of input/output policy

Availability of seedlings/inputs

Mechanization policy Regulation of pesticide

use Road network

transportation

Rainfall changes Water levels Droughts/floods Labor availability Soil fertility depletion Input pricing Output pricing

Farmer income/ livelihood change

Recognition by the government

Ecosystem benefits Win-win for the farmer

and systems

Public interventions supporting farmers

Banking/ credit institutions

Government subsidies Procurement support

from public/ private sectors

Extension for What?

• Agricultural transformation• Total factor productivity • Knowledge system• Pluralistic extension• India – Agricultural Technology Management Agency ( ATMA) • Brazil – Ministry of Agrarian development (PNATER)• Nigeria – Agricultural Transformation Agenda

Knowledge connectors - Individuals • Technical capacity for emerging issues• Problem solving – post harvest - markets• Social Entrepreneurs – • Service providers – Animal husbandry • Input dealers – private sector technical assistance• Mid-career training for professionals • Trainers of the extension workers

Organizational Roles

• Linking strategy to program design • Setting priorities for extension -context• Allocation of resources• Implementation capacity• Monitoring and evaluation• Personnel management• Impact Assessment

System Mapping

• Research – extension – farmer linkages• Innovation systems - extension along Value chains• Public- private –FBO – Linkages• Evidence – based Knowledge management• Local – national – global linkages• Extension Policy process

Discussion

• Identifying Extension / Knowledge needs • Entry points for extension / organizational strengthening• Coordination / regulatory capacity for inclusive extension• Effective research / innovation linkages• Systems capacity for policy / strategy / monitoring and

evaluation