Agricultural extension: Building capacity and resilience in rural industries and communities

Abstract

This paper contributes to an improved understanding of contemporary agricultural extension. Specifically, it considers how extension can add to capacity and resilience of Australian rural industries and their associated communities. It provides perspectives and examples on how extension, capacity-building and resilience are conceptually linked and includes an extension program in the the Tasmanian sheep industry as a supporting case study. Commenced in 2003 the 8×5 Wool Profit Program, now SheepConnect-Tasmania, was funded by Australian Wool Innovation, and the findings of an independent external review, together with supporting documentation from agencies closely linked to the extension program are presented. This study confirms rural extension services can function in capacity-building roles in communities that far exceed simply achieving changes in on-farm agricultural production or natural resource management practices. Extension agents are investments that add value and capacity to the communities that rely on them, providing vital accessible skills to stakeholders negotiating challenging circumstances. Retention of core agricultural extension capacity and expertise at regional levels should therefore be a strategic objective for rural community stakeholders, and industry and government policy makers.