Envisioning the Future of Extension

ENVISIONING THE FUTURE OF EXTENSION

January 16, 2020

March 4-5, 2020

This knowledge event is co-organized by the Feed the Future Developing Local Extension Capacity Project, AgReach initiative (University of Illinois), the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

The event will explore the question: “What will agricultural extension look like in 10-20 years?”

It will include a combination of presentations, panel discussions, lightning talks, and posters to discuss:

  • what will and won’t change
  • what the extension ecosystem and the future extension worker will look like in the future
  • what we are already learning that relates to that future, and what we could be doing to enable that future

See program of the event with links to the presentations. Poster session materials are available here. 

We live-streamed and recorded the following sessions:

Engaging Youth in Extension and Advisory Services, March 4, 1:30 – 3:00 pm 

  • Suresh Babu, IFPRI: Can promoting youth entrepreneurship help with extension innovation? Lessons from Bangladesh, India and Nigeria (presentation)
  • Raphael Rurangwa, Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC): Youth engagement in private sector extension and advisory services: Experiences from Rwanda and Uganda (presentation)
  • Patrice Djamen, DLEC: Why and how of fostering youth engagement in providing agricultural extension services (presentation)
  • Peter Saling, Winrock International: AVENIR: Youth catalysts for agricultural modernization in Guinea (presentation)
    Chair: Jane Lowicki-Zucca, USAID

Systems Approach to Strengthening Extension, March 5, 9:00 – 10:30 am 

  • Clodina Chowa, AgReach: Assessing the functionality of the District Agricultural Extension Services System (DAESS) stakeholder platforms: The case of Malawi (presentation)
  • Kinfe Asayehegn, Hawassa University: Alternative approach for demand driven agricultural extension services: What the current challenges tell us about the future of extension in Ethiopia (presentation)
  • Margaret Najjingo Mangheni, Makerere University: Analysis of Uganda’s 5-10-year agricultural development strategy context: Implications for agricultural extension and advisory services functions, opportunities and challenges (presentation)
  • Paul McNamara, AgReach: Does Strengthening Extension at the Meso Level Improve Quality at the Village Level? Evidence from the USAID Strengthening Agricultural and Nutrition Extension (SANE) Activity (presentation)
    Chair: Austen Moore, Catholic Relief Services

Speakers include:

  • Robynne Anderson from Emerging Ag, giving an opening keynote interactive session on the envisioning the future of extension
  • Christie Peacock, from Sidai of Kenya, speaking on a panel session about private sector extension services for livestock
  • Daniel Jiménez R, from the Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), talking about what big data has to do with extension and whether it makes extension more effective
  • Suresh Babu of IFPRI presenting “Can promoting youth entrepreneurship help with extension innovation? Lessons from Bangladesh, India and Nigeria”
  • Raphael Rurangwa & Richard Miiro discussing DLEC’s work on youth engagement in private sector extension and advisory services and their experiences from Rwanda and Uganda
  • Peter Saling from Winrock International presenting “AVENIR: Youth catalysts for agricultural modernization in Guinea”

A special AgReach Session on Strengthening Agricultural Extension Systems will discuss best practices and innovations for improving farmer voice, communication and delivery, with contributions from extension leaders from Malawi, Uganda, and Ethiopia. The session will be moderated by Dr. Jerome Chim’gonda from the Department of Agricultural Extension Services, Malawi.

Other sessions include: Future Issues in Extension and Advisory Services, Technology to Support Extension Workers, and Engaging Youth, Women and Minorities.

Read about our previous knowledge event on the future of extension (November 2019) in the blog "Future extension: What will it be?". Select video recording available here.

For more information about the event, please contact Dr. Kristin Davis.

In-person attendance:

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
1201 Eye St, NW, 12th Floor Conference Center
Washington, DC 20005

Photo: Mitchell Maher / International Food Policy Institute