ABSTRACT

To improve and sustain farm productivity, farmers require information on inputs, postharvest management and markets, and exposure to new technologies and best practices. Traditionally public agricultural extension agents are the knowledge brokers for farmers. However, government extension has received much criticism due to limited reach and relevance, and poor resourcing. This paper examines the use of a private extension approach that is supporting and educating farmers in groups in two districts of Zambia through farmer-to-farmer extension. This paper shares the experiences and perspectives of farmers who provide the extension services. In doing so, it highlights the tensions within the role of farmers as private service providers and three emergent dilemmas for sustainability of the approach.

摘要

为了提高和维持农业生产力，农民需要有关投入、收获后管理和市场以及接触新技术和最佳实践的信息。传统上，公共农业推广代理是农民的知识经纪人。然而，由于范围和相关性有限以及资源匮乏，政府推广受到了很多批评。本文研究了私人推广方法的使用，该方法通过农民对农民的推广来支持和教育赞比亚两个地区的农民群体。本文分享了提供推广服务的农民的经验和观点。在这样做的过程中，它强调了农民作为私人服务提供者的角色之间的紧张关系以及该方法可持续性的三个紧急困境。