An examination of the role of farmers' organizations in agricultural extension, including the benefits, challenges, and best practices for enhancing their participation in extension activities.
History of agricultural extension: This refers to the origin, development and evolution of agricultural extension services in various countries and their impact on farmers and rural communities.
Agricultural knowledge and innovation systems: This refers to systems of knowledge generation, sharing, and application for agriculture, food systems and rural development, and the critical role played by farmers and their organizations in these systems.
Types of farmers' organizations: This includes formal and informal groups of farmers, producer organizations, cooperatives, self-help groups, and other forms of collective action among farmers.
Leadership and governance of farmers' organizations: This refers to the principles and practices of leadership, decision-making, and governance in farmers' organizations.
Participatory approaches in agriculture: This includes participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation, and action research approaches that involve farmers and their organizations in agricultural development.
Agricultural communication and ICTs: This refers to the use of communication and information technologies in agriculture, rural development, and farmers' organizations.
Agricultural policy advocacy and lobbying: This includes the strategies and tactics used by farmers' organizations to influence policies affecting agriculture and rural development.
Livelihoods and food security: This refers to the role of farmers' organizations in promoting sustainable agricultural practices, improving livelihoods, and enhancing food security for rural communities.
Gender and social inclusion in agriculture: This includes initiatives to promote gender equality, and the inclusion of marginalized groups such as women, youth, and small-scale farmers in agricultural development.
Sustainable agriculture and climate change adaptation: This refers to the practices and technologies that promote sustainable agriculture and the adaptation of farmers to the effects of climate change.
Agricultural financing and investment: This includes the financing and investment mechanisms that support agricultural development and the role of farmers' organizations in accessing capital.
Agricultural marketing and value chains: This involves the organization of farmers' groups and their participation in agricultural value chains, market access and market linkages.
Technology transfer in agriculture: This includes methods that support the transfer of knowledge, technologies, and innovations from research to farmers to promote agricultural development.
Rural entrepreneurship and agribusiness: This refers to the promotion of rural entrepreneurship and agribusiness through training, mentorship and incubation activities.
Farmer's rights and governance of natural resources: This involves awareness on property rights over land and tree products, and methods of governance for sustainable use of natural resources.
Farmer Cooperatives: These are organizations owned and controlled by farmers who have joined together to market their products, purchase supplies and services, and share in the benefits of improved yields and lower costs.
Farmers’ Associations: These are non-profit organizations that represent farmers’ interests and provide them with various services, such as education, training, and advocacy.
Farmer based organisations: These organizations are formed by the farmers themselves, to pursue common goals. They include farmers' clubs and societies, self-help groups, and cooperatives.
Agricultural Extension Services: These are government or private sector organizations that provide technical assistance and training to farmers, to help them improve their farming practices.
Farmers’ Forums: These are informal gatherings of farmers and stakeholders, who come together to discuss issues affecting agriculture, share information and experiences, and make decisions collectively.
Farmer Field Schools: These are experiential learning programs for farmers, where they learn by doing, experimenting and exchanging knowledge with each other, in small groups.
Rural Advisory Services: These are organizations that provide information and technical support to rural communities, including farmers, on matters of agriculture, rural development, and natural resources management.
Producer Organizations: These are organizations formed by farmers and other producers, to collectively market their products and advocate for their interests in the market and policy-making spheres.
Commodity Associations: These are organizations that represent specific commodities or groups of commodities, such as grain, livestock, or horticulture, and work to promote their production, processing, and marketing.
Agricultural Research and Development Centers: These are institutions that conduct research on various aspects of agriculture, to improve farming practices, increase productivity and sustainability, and provide technical support to farmers.