Demand-Led and Supply-Led Agricultural Extension Approaches to Support Sustainable Intensification in Malawi
February 5, 2018 - Rodney W. Lunduka, Sieglinde Snapp, and Thomas S. Jayne
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EmailRodney W. Lunduka, Sieglinde Snapp, and Thomas S. Jayne. 2017. Demand-Led and Supply-Led Agricultural Extension Approaches to Support Sustainable Intensification in Malawi. FSG Policy Synthesis 94
BACKGROUND:
Agricultural extension systems are intended to help farmers raise their productivity and adapt to changing environmental conditions. However, there has been widespread dissatisfaction with the performance of agricultural extension institutions in Africa. Frustration with past approaches to extension (e.g. training and visit, public extension systems) has led to repeated calls for innovative approaches to transition from ‘supply-driven’ technology transfer models to ‘demand-driven’ approaches where farmers and researchers interact with extension systems in a participatory process (Biggs 1990; Snapp, Blackie, and Donovan 2003).
Given the universally acknowledged importance of extension, it is surprising how little research there is on the effectiveness of alternative extension models in Africa.
