Extension Challenges For The Twenty First Century By Rufus Leandre

EXTENSION CHALLENGES FOR THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY by Rufus Leandre Chief Extension Officer Department of Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Saint Lucia Introduction Agricultural Extension is defined as a system of trained Human Resource input which serves to support, facilitate and encourage agricultural growth in a qualitative and quantitative manner within an organized national Regional international framework, provision of technical support and advice, which enhances management techniques, agricultural production / marketing and relates to the reality of the farmers / farm families. Or simply defined as a non formal or out of school education for rural people. It is a form of community development with an Agricultural bids and an educational approach to the problems of rural communities. The extension worker is regarded as a teacher, for he is constantly endeavors to teach his people so as to increase their knowledge, to improve their minds and outlook, to make the best use of their facilities and skills, and to develop their capacity for work. Overview Agricultural Extension, worldwide face great challenges and opportunities as it strives to remain a major force for Agricultural Transformation in the dynamic era of the 21st Century. Roughly 80 percent of the world’s extension is publicly funded and delivered by civil servants, providing a range of services to the farming population, commercial producers, and disadvantaged target groups. Budgeting constraints and concerns about performance create pressure to slow the payoff on investment on Extension and to explore alternatives. In order to remain sustainable extension will have to deal with emerging issues such as globalization unprecedented technological advances in information and biotechnology, major structural change in the agricultural industry, the persistence of food shortages and yield gaps in the less developed countries, and the global trend towards privatization.

Agricultural Extension, like other major institutions, is facing one of its most challenging times as it strives to redefine its mission structure service delivery methodologies and its stake holder in the most dynamic and turbulent policy and Technological Environment of the 21st Century. While Extension in many developed countries have played a major role in achieving agricultural transformation in their respective countries. However as we begin the 21st Century, agricultural extension both in the developed countries and less developed countries for totally different reasons, faces an uncertain future. In the developed countries the challenges to the future of public sector extension including the impact of information and Biotechnology, a shrinking farm population and the increasing vertical integration of the agricultural industry. However, the threats to the extension survival on many less developed countries include among others, inefficient bureaucracies and the inability of government to bear the cost of financing networks of Extension Services to meet the targeted needs of subsistence farmers. Apart from issues endogenous to the agricultural industry, the organizational environment in the 21st century is one characterized by rapid technology change, demanding consumer base, extreme competition and constantly changing management paradigms. Public institutions have recently come under pressure to justify their existence. The organizational trends in the 21st Century are towards greater accountability and privatization. In the face of pervasive public cynicism against government and government programmes, past records of performance is no longer a sufficient guarantee of institutional survival. This is the 21st Century challenge confronting Extension. The major debate for agricultural Extension in the 21st Century is not only maintaining the Status Quo, but the nature and scope of institutional restructuring needed to keep agricultural Extension vibrant and relevant to farming communities in Saint Lucia. Another issue critical to the future of Extension is the impact of globalization. The global paradigm shift from Government led to a private sector led economy model, and the ongoing revolution on the International Financial system, creates an incredibly large global market for agricultural products. Advances in communication technologies such as internet and satellite communication are already revolutionizing social and consumer behavior. Hamilton (2000) reported, that by the end of 2000, more than $36 billon dollars worth of E-Commerce related to agriculture would have been conducted. Total agriculture – related E-Commerce projected totalling $125 billion dollars by the year

2008, representing more than 80% of entire online economy – communications technologies hold the potential to widen extension clientele base over a wider geographical space. The hierarchical organizational structure, characteristic of most National Extension Services, especially, of the bureaucratic Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries model must be flattened to enhance organizational learning. Transformation is made possible by collaboration. One of the dominant characteristics of the Info-Biotechnology age is the dispersion of Agriculture through knowledge centers from Universities, Research Centers, NGOs etc. These new alliances and collaborations imply the adoption of systems & think tanks, which transcends extensions traditional focus on Agricultural problems, to encompass other societal needs, such as Micro Enterprise Development, Community Development and Environmental preservations. To be successful in the 21st Century and turn the challenges of the InfoBiotechnology era into opportunities, agricultural extension must become a true learning organization that is continually expanding its ability & capacity to create and re-create the very pattern and structures by which it operates. The Extension Services in St. Lucia has a certain capacity and some of its present demands seem largely fire fighting, because everyone seems to draw on their scarce resources to achieve their programme objectives at the expense of our planned national programmes. There is an urgent need to address these concerns. During the early years, Extension Services had been in a transient state because of the numerous programs it begins to implement and has not been afforded the opportunity to measure impact. There is a level of behavioral change taking place, which is going on unchecked. As we move quickly through an age increasingly dependant on technology and since the challenges surrounding agriculture has never been greater, so that they can adapt through time as technology advances and agricultural needs begin to evolve rapidly. Our team of extensionist is dedicated to serving the diverse and specialized needs of our farmers. There has always been a great disparity with the level of resources allocated for agricultural extension programmes, as compared to all other agencies use of working capital for programme implementation. The Extension Unit still continues to perform with a less than 1% budget for programme implementation. We have over the years been in a very unfair disposition. Present Challenges Facing the Extension and Advisory Services: 1. Globalization, Trade Liberalization CSME, WTO and other Emerging Trade Agendas. – We have to respond to changes in the type and nature of the new agriculture and

technology thrust. Moving from a Mono Crop Economy to a more diversified agricultural sector – These will bring along new competition, threats and also opportunities for developing countries like Saint Lucia. 2. Changing Clientele – we have recognized three types of clients a) Dominant – this type is a better educated / entrepreneurs and more

informed and sensitized. They are usually more exposed to Information Technology and other media. The dominant type needs information but do not need to physically interact with extension. b) Dependant – always want to see an Extension Officer.

c) Detached – Those farmers who do not want to see extension, criticize and

make trouble. d) In the future the Extension Service will have to deal with the dominant

Type, because at present we spend more time dealing with the Dependant and Dominant types. 3.

Changes in food production and consumption patterns – Consumer preference has become more demanding, preferences that have increased fast foods should be localized at all levels of the production system.

4. Technological, business and investment information not readily available. 5. Emerging and new rural development challenges:• Poverty is largely rural •

Food needs are big and growing

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The environment is under threat

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National food security challenged by climate change.

6. Climate Change will also affect hundreds of small scale farmers, fishers and

forest dependant people who are already vulnerable to the food crisis. By

affecting the land, water and biodiversity, and the price of food, the rising demand for bio-fuels produced form crops has a further impact on the poor. 7. International support for agriculture has been halfed • Complacency about food security •

Agriculture is becoming more complex

8. Food security and sovereignty Issues 9. Farmers challenge to balance conflicting objectives. • More productive

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More profitable

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More sustainable

GMO, SPSS, Biodiversity, AIDS, Bioterrorism, Bio-energy and other sustainable and environmental issues.

11. Changing and emerging ICT systems and processes.

This will result in increased access to economic and social opportunities provided by the emerging technologies

12. Negative criticism of Extension in a more over dramatized manner by those who probably never understood the relevance of time in measuring the impact of extension. 13. Continued little or no investment by governments for programme implementation. 14. Inadequate support of extension by policy makers in their inability to derive political capital that can be gained from expenditures that have unclear cause effect results.

15. Health and wellness environment – propensity of our country’s record for a high incidence of non communicable disease and other health threats – eg diabetes, hypertension, obesity etc. Future of Extension Services In keeping with our national, Regional and International goals and objectives, The Extension Services has had to go through simultaneous styles of transformation and repositioning to keep up with the dynamics of this vibrant agricultural sector. Apart from the more global challenges outlined, there were other concerns and issues impacting on the Extension Services and the agricultural sector in general – These are as follows:• • • • • • •

Increase competition – Domestic/Regional & other. Increase impacts of low cost and highly subsidized goods. Displacement of domestic farmers through increased pressure on preferential treatment and due to farmers becoming less competitive on the market. Protection and less subsidized agriculture Challenges and restriction of exports to traditional and non traditional markets and commodities. Increase pest and disease threats to agriculture. Literacy, culture, morality, policies, socio-economic status and poverty levels of our farmers.

The Extension Services given its mandate and in an effort to support farm families in adjusting to changes in farm families circumstances, the Extension Services should continually adapt to the changing environment. In order to remain relevant the Extension Services must metamorphasize an entity which is better to respond to these changes. A new agriculture is emerging with great implications for the Extension Services. Farmers are growing value enhanced crops, exploring new ways of cooperating, searching out contracts and making investments in business opportunities which utilize their commodities. New biological and information technologies, more efficient means of transport and distribution and the elimination of trade barriers are resulting in a dramatic transformation of the agricultural economy. As a result, commodity prices have decreased in both developed and developing countries. In addition, the business model of being the low cost commodity producer has been seriously challenged. Worldwide farmers are facing a difficult choice; either to adopt new business models or exit the industry (Goldsmith & Gow 2001). For example,

during the 1990’s it was estimated that 92,000 American farmers were forced out or left farming (agri census 2000). As a result, increasing numbers of those remaining in farming are turning to more differentiated, value added products and moving away from the production of bulk commodities. In addition, many are moving up the value chain by investing in value added processing plants, focusing on manufactured products not commodities; integration of the supply chain. Not intermediaries and participating in networks, rather than acting solely as independent producers (Flora 1996). The participation of farmers in those new economic relationships demands new skills and knowledge, new communication networks among like-minded producers and the ability to identify and take advantage of emerging marketing and agro-processing opportunities. This has taken place against the backdrop of declining public resources increasing corporate control over key agricultural sector components from abroad, and new relationships among producers and between end user markets. Many of these trends are referred to as “the new agriculture” (Swanson et al). These changes have profoundly influenced how knowledge and information are produced and disseminated. As a consequence, extension organizations if they are to remain viable institutions, need to plan and strategically deliver extension programs that can help farmers take advantage of these new opportunities to increase their income within the new agricultural economy. The Extension Services would have to provide rural farm families with the necessary information, technology, skills and social infrastructure to successfully produce for these new differentiated markets and there by, capture additional value from their farm products. The challenge, therefore, would be to identify the type of farmers who are more or less oriented towards the new agricultural economy and their emerging knowledge and technology needs.