Abstract
Based on the assumption that agricultural technologies were available and that the problem was their dissemination and adoption, U.S. development efforts have focused on establishing public-sector extension systems for farmers in developing countries. Evaluations of government extension services in developing countries, however, have found them to be largely ineffective, especially in helping small farmers. As a result, private-sector extension is increasingly receiving attention as an alternative approach. This paper examines various characteristics of public- and privatesector extension, drawing on both the literature and a case study of government extension and farm input stores in Imbabura province, Ecuador. It concludes with a discussion of the implications of increased privatization of extension.
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L. Van Crowder is an assistant professor in the Editorial Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida. His international experience includes working as an extension/rural communication specialist in Bolivia, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. Most recently (1986), he completed a regional analysis of public and private sector agricultural knowledge systems in Ecuador.
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Van Crowder, L. Agents, vendors, and farmers: Public and private sector extension in agricultural development. Agric Hum Values 4, 26–31 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01530499
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01530499