Synthesis on the Privatization of Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services: Sub-Sahara Africa

The implications of agricultural extension and rural advisory services in the key concept of Climate Smart Agriculture is to provide location specific climate smart technologies. Private sectors have to be involved in formulating the location specific technologies. The focus of extension has to shift from transferring skills, technologies and knowledge related to the production of crops, livestock and forestry products to develop climate smart technologies with farmers, catalyzing and facilitating innovation processes. Successful implementation of Climate-Smart Agriculture involves effective and efficient extension providers and systems. All the agricultural extension service providers need to give priority to implement Climate-Smart Agricultural technologies. The government especially for development nations must recognize and promote partnerships through incentives and create an environment where farmers can do business with the private sector. The application of Climate-Smart Agriculture would involve changes in the societal behavior, strategies and agricultural practices of millions of farmers worldwide. Farmers need support to understand the impacts of climate change and to adopt Climate-Smart Agriculture. Therefore, the rural extension and advisory service is very crucial in linking farmers with sources of new information and tools.