Please note that this event has been cancelled

Abstract

The recent food crisis, the L’Aquila G-8 statement on the importance of agricultural extension services, renewed donor interest in agriculture and advisory services, and a broad commitment to restructure global agricultural development institutions have revived the interest in agricultural extension as an instrument to reduce hunger and food insecurity. Furthermore, there is an increasing recognition that agricultural extension services need to reach female farmers to be effective, as women play an important role in developing countries’ agriculture.

This seminar presents new evidence from Ghana, Ethiopia, and India on the access of female farmers to agricultural extension and livestock services. The seminar also features the results of a recent evaluation of farmers’ field schools in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, where women constituted half of the participants. The panelists will discuss strategies that developing countries can use to better meet the needs of female farmers when reforming their agricultural extension services.

Burton E. Swanson is Professor Emeritus of Rural Development, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kristin Davis is a Research Fellow at the Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation Division of IFPRI. Regina Birner is a Senior Research Fellow at the Development Strategy and Governance Division at IFPRI.