Enhancing the role of rural agricultural extension programs in poverty alleviation: A review

Extension programs in rural communities play a critical role in linking farmers and other actors in rural developmental agenda. The relevance of these programs in agriculture is largely dependent on their ability to meet farmers' needs since they are the stakeholders at the grassroots. This pap...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cogent food & agriculture 2021, Vol.7 (1)
Main Authors: Maulu, Sahya, Hasimuna, Oliver Jolezya, Mutale, Bornwell, Mphande, Joseph, Siankwilimba, Enock
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural extension
approaches
Farmers
Geographical distribution
Geographical locations
Poverty
poverty alleviation
Rural areas
Rural communities
rural development
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Extension programs in rural communities play a critical role in linking farmers and other actors in rural developmental agenda. The relevance of these programs in agriculture is largely dependent on their ability to meet farmers' needs since they are the stakeholders at the grassroots. This paper aimed to review studies on enhancing the role of rural agricultural extension programs in poverty alleviation. Various approaches and tools used in rural extension program delivery have been discussed, and ways in which their contribution to poverty alleviation can be enhanced have been highlighted. Extension programs have undergone many changes throughout the years in response to farmers' changing needs as well as the market they operate in. Therefore, there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach recommended for effective service delivery and outcome due to different farmer needs that are affected by their geographical location, social and economic structures. We conclude that rural extension programs can provide a sustainable solution to poverty, however, the appropriate approaches should be chosen taking into account the needs of the farmers and market dynamics of a particular area.
ISSN:2331-1932
2331-1932
DOI:10.1080/23311932.2021.1886663