World Technology Access Program

With the growing global population, shrinking agricultural land base and emerging threats of climate change, agricultural transformation is a high priority globally. Along with research and education, extension/outreach remains a key pillar for global agricultural development and food systems.

Despite efforts to strengthen agricultural research, extension and outreach systems in most developing countries remain weak, underfunded, and disconnected from research and education systems. Useful technologies, innovative practices in farming and marketing, and reliable information sources are not efficiently reaching farmers and end users to create the desired impacts on farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs. The roles for agricultural extension and advisory services and other government-supported services should be redefined to create a stronger and more efficient system of support for producers. Agricultural extension is dominantly supply-driven rather than demand-driven. Producers are expecting evidence-based knowledge, skills and solutions to produce and market quality agricultural products.

The MSU Extension team in collaboration with MSU-CANR International Programs has designed and been offering one weeklong short course in “Innovations in Agricultural Extension” to share models and best practices in the planning, design, implementation, management, and evaluation of agricultural extension programs. This course is offered annually and open to extension professionals from all over the world.

For more information, please contact Sunil Madan madansun@msu.edu and Anne Baker amb@msu.edu.