Every country has developed, formulated, and decreed national policies related to rural advisory services. Find some examples here. If you are looking for a national policy from a specific country, please use the search function, selecting the category “National policies” and the tag for the country.
RAS Policies (23)
Type: Case study, experience, example
The Case of India’s Agricultural Extension Policy
Many countries have recognized the need to revive agricultural advisory or extension services (the terms are used interchangeably here) as a means of using agriculture as an engine of pro-poor growth; reaching marginalized, poor, and female farmers; and addressing new challenges, such as environmental degradation and climate change. In spite of ample experience with extension reform worldwide, identifying the reform options most likely to make extension more demand-driven remains a major challenge. The concept of demand-driven services implies making extension more responsive to the needs of all farmers, including women and those who are poor and marginalized. It also implies making extension more accountable to farmers and, as a consequence, more effective.
This essay discusses various options for providing and financing agricultural advisory services, which involve the public and private sectors as well as a third sector comprising nongovernmental organizations and farmer-based organizations. We review the market and state failures, and the “community” failures (failures of non-governmental and farmer-based organizations) inherent in existing models of providing and financing agricultural extension services and then outline strategies to address those failures and make extension demand-driven. Then we examine India’s Policy Framework for Agricultural Extension, which has demand-driven extension as one of its major objectives, and review available survey information on the state of extension in India. We conclude that although the framework proposes a wide range of strategies to make agricultural extension demand-driven, it is less specific in addressing the challenges inherent in those strategies. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the strategies proposed in the framework will be able to address one of the major problems identified by farm household surveys: access to agricultural extension.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
The Government of Ethiopia is highly committed to sustainably increasing agricultural production to meet the growing demand for food, industrial raw materials, and foreign currency earnings. In order to respond the growing demand of different stakeholders, there is a need of dynamic and proactive extension system. Rigorous and vibrant extension system is a key policy instrument for necessary behavioral and attitudinal changes and creating demands on national agricultural extension programs. Agricultural extension has been emphasized by development experts as crucial in achieving agricultural development, poverty reduction, and food security. By recognizing this, the government of Ethiopia has made great efforts to transform the agricultural sector mainly by strengthening its extension services as part of the general agriculture policy reform. In spite of considerable efforts made to improve the extension system of the country in the past, the system is not bringing the desired results. Thus, it is of paramount importance to prepare a full-fledged extension strategy which takes into consideration the growing demand of agricultural development and that also shows the future direction of the extension services.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
The National Agricultural Extension Strategy (NAES) is derived from the National Agricultural Extension Policy 2016 and was developed through a wide consultative process. The NAES is also aligned with the Five- Year National Development Plan (NDP II) 2015-2020.
The Directorate of Extension Services (DAES) is mandated by the policy to work closely with existing MAAIF Departments and Agencies; other sector Ministries and Non- State Actors on the provision of agricultural extension services. The new strategic direction articulated in this strategy, is to transform extension from a system of parallel institutionally fragmented public and non-state actors to a well-coordinated, harmonized, regulated pluralistic service with multiple providers addressing diverse needs. The second dimension of the new direction is to address the extension needs along the entire value chain (as opposed to the previous focus on mainly primary production) and synergistic integration with other agricultural support services for optimum return on investment.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
The Government of Uganda has in the past developed and invested in various agricultural extension approaches and systems with varying demand for human, capital and financial resources. The success has been mixed and sometimes unsatisfactory. In June 2014, Government took a decision to re-structure the entire national agricultural extension system in order to address past weaknesses in extension services. This decision was based on the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub Committee Report (2014). The reforms dubbed as “Single Spine Extension System” included transfer of the extension function from the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) to the mainstream Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and the creation of a Directorate of Agricultural Extension Services (DAES); integration of the NAADS program into the local government production departments and eliminating the parallel institutional arrangements as well as separation of agricultural input supply from the extension service delivery system. In a bid to effectively implement the reforms, MAAIF has prioritized the formulation of an agricultural extension policy and strategy to guide implementation.
Type: Case study, experience, example
A rapid improvement in food production, food security and farm incomes is a pressing national priority and Government of Timor Leste has been directing considerable resources to this objective. However, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has previously lacked the capability to work effectively with farmers. Part of the Government’s strategic response to the food security challenge has been to establish a new agricultural extension system with the capacity to provide support and encouragement to farmers in all parts of the country.
This document gives an overview of the development of extension in Timor Leste as well as key policy issues.
Type: Case study, experience, example
Type: Case study, experience, example
Summary Note on the New Nigerian Agricultural Policy from 2001. The new policy document bears most of the features of the old one, but with more focused direction and better articulation.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
One of the objectives of this policy document is to present a framework for the future of extension in Malawi by highlighting a number of key guiding principles and the roles that various key actors and agencies can play.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
The National Agricultural Policy seeks to raise the profile of the agricultural sector so that it effectively contributes to the national development aspirations of turning the country from a predominantly consuming to a producing and exporting nation, targeting all value chain stages.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
This Implementation Framework for National Agricultural Extension Policy (NASEP) was prepared to provide guidance to all stakeholders involved in agricultural extension so that there is a harmonised approach in its implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The success in the implementation of this policy is predicated on the commitment of all sector players: public and private sector service providers, farmers, fisher-folk, pastoralists, ranchers and development partners. Successful implementation of the policy will contribute towards improved transfer of technology and management for higher agricultural sector productivity, a key prerequisite to poverty reduction and enhanced nutrition and food security.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
The National Agricultural Sector Extension Policy (NASEP) spells out modalities for effective management and organization of agricultural extension in a pluralistic system where both public and private service providers are active participants. The new policy provides a point of reference for service providers and other stakeholders on standards, ethics and approaches, and guides all players on how to strengthen coordination, partnership and collaboration.
Type: Case study, experience, example
Agricultural extension was established in Kenya after the second world war. The extension services were provided by the government. Variations in the system have included: a) the integrated approach under the special rural integrated development project, 1970s, b) training and visit system, 1982, c) district focus for rural development, 1984 and d) national agricultural and livestock extension programme, 2000. Shifts in extension policy in Kenya have been due to perceived low impact of agricultural extension. Factors attributed to this scenario include weak operational framework and poor linkages between research, extension and the farmer. To strengthen the agricultural extension system, the government has opted to support non-governmental actors. The merits and demerits of this approach are discussed.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
This document describes Liberia's National Policy for AEAS. It is the intention of this National Policy for Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) to provide the legal and enabling framework for the transformation of the existing extension system into a pluralistic, decentralized, demand-driven, and market-oriented AEAS system that is responsive to cross-cutting issues such as gender, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, natural resource management, and climate change, and to provide guidance to AEAS stakeholders.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
Power Point Presentation aiming at providing information on the process in which Liberia was involved in developing its AEAS policy.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is at the heart of efforts by African governments to accelerate growth and eliminate poverty and hunger among African countries. In the West Africa region, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been mandated to support and coordinate the implementation of the program. In this context, ECOWAS developed the regional agricultural policy (ECOWAP).
This document presents the concrete investment programme of Ghana regarding the ECOWAP/CAADP agenda.
Type: Case study, experience, example
Power Point Presentation on Ghanas Agricultural Extension Policy of April 2001.
Type: Conceptual (definitions and frameworks)
This is the final draft report of the the Policy and Investment Framework (PIF) for Ethiopia's agricultural sector. The PIF provides a strategic framework for the prioritisation and planning of investments that will drive Ethiopia’s agricultural growth and development. It is a 10-year road map for development that identifies priority areas for investment and estimates the financing needs to be provided by Government and its evelopment partners. It is anchored to, and aligned with, the national vision of becoming a middle income country by 2020 together with a number of key policy and strategic statements.
Type: Case study, experience, example
This paper provides an in-depth review of the agricultural extension system of DRC to identify strategies and practical actions to transform the system to better respond to the knowledge needs in a rapidly-changing agriculture and food sector. This review includes analyses of its policies and legal framework, organization and management, links to critical institutions, and capacity and incentive of different actors in the system.
IFPRI Policy Note
Type: Case study, experience, example
With the theme of "Extension Services for Better Well-being," this agricultural extension policy document aims to support, facilitate, and coordinate the work of all extension services providers in Cambodia so that farmers and farming communities receive regular extension services and timely, adequate, accessible, and adaptable technical information.
Type: Case study, experience, example
The Ministry of Agriculture of Buthan presents its revised RNR extension policy of 2009. It outlines what is the role of extension and how it must function henceforth in terms of bringing about necessary positive changes and sustainable development in agriculture. The revised RNR extension policy is kept broad enough to cover all essential features/aspects and kept short enough to be more user-friendly, practical and realistic. It will facilitate extension system to develop and grow in a comprehensive and holistic manner. It will provide the necessary framework to stimulate learning and growth among farming communities. It will act as a deliberate means to build a firm foundation for alleviating poverty and translating GNH concept into concrete actions at the grassroots institution and community level.
Type: Case study, experience, example
This document presents a revised National Agricultural Extension Policy (NAEP) which sets extension policy directions for transferring technologies to crop, fisheries and livestock sector development. Here, key elements of lesson learnt from existing policy, macroeconomic scenario, agro ecology /bio-ecological zones and current issues in agriculture such as natural disaster, production stagnation, land ownership and tenancy, poor soil health status, decreasing agricultural land, irrigation water scarcity, lack of good agricultural practices, high demand of quality seeds/planting materials etc., livestock and fishery issues including emerging challenges and perspectives have been pointed out for strong consideration.
Type: Case study, experience, example
In most states of Australia, agricultural extension policies and practices have increasingly been based on considerations of private/public goods, user pays and cost recovery. In addition, the delivery of extension has been strongly influenced by changing administrative structures and a change in the paradigm within which the extension community operates. These changes have had major impacts, including more extension being delivered by the private sector. There are positive aspects to the changes and, for some issues, they are appropriate. However, we have a number of reservations, particularly about the effectiveness of current extension systems in assisting the adoption of complex environmental and farming system technologies.
Type: Case study, experience, example
This is a presentation on the Agricultural Extension Policies in Nigeria and Ghana.