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The Role of Extension and Advisory Services in Strengthening Farmers’ Innovation Networks to Adapt to Climate Extremes

Author

Listed:
  • Md Kamruzzaman

    (Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
    Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia)

  • Katherine Anne Daniell

    (Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia)

  • Ataharul Chowdhury

    (School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada)

  • Steven Crimp

    (Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia)

Abstract

There is anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of Extension and Advisory Service (EAS) agencies for strengthening innovation networks to adapt to extreme events that impact agricultural production and productivity. In Bangladesh, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) is responsible for ensuring sustainable rice farming, which is damaged by flash flooding every year. This study investigates how EAS can strengthen farmers’ innovation networks by examining DAE’s efforts to adapt rice cultivation to flash flooding. Using surveys and interviews from farmers affiliated with DAE (DAE-farmers) and farmers independent of DAE (non-DAE farmers), the effectiveness of innovation networks was examined. One of the key findings of this paper is that DAE’s efforts to strengthen the innovation networks of farmers to adapt rice cultivation to flash flooding focused on the facilitation of the agronomic network development. The organization missed the opportunity to enable the harvesting networks’ efficacy. As the harvesting activities are highly exposed to flash flooding, the absence of adequate support from the DAE and timely updates of local weather and flash flooding information indicates that farmers are still at significant risk. This study also shows the value of including both formal (e.g., EAS agencies, research organizations) and informal actors (e.g., relatives, local input dealers) in the innovation network as a way of ensuring diversity of information access.

Suggested Citation

  • Md Kamruzzaman & Katherine Anne Daniell & Ataharul Chowdhury & Steven Crimp, 2021. "The Role of Extension and Advisory Services in Strengthening Farmers’ Innovation Networks to Adapt to Climate Extremes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-21, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:1941-:d:497655
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    References listed on IDEAS

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