INTERNATIONAL EXTENSION EDUCATION CONFERENCE on Innovative Applications in Agricultural Extension for Sustainable Food & Environmental Security

Background Extension is a key pillarof agricultural development in the world. While large investments have been made during the last few decades to strengthen agricuiturai research, extension, and advisory services, the extension and outreach systems in most developing countries remain weak and are often broken, under-funded, and disconnected from research and education. The synergism between extension and research is well recognized, but in practice, often a lack of cooperation exists between them. Greater integration, cooperation, effective communication and appropriate mechanisms are needed to foster joint programs linking research and extension systems. Additionally, extension programmes are expected go beyond farm advisory support and encompass larger sphere of community development in both rural and urban areas. Today, extension system has to deal with ever evolving challenges faced by farming community from economic viability to techno-feasibility with sustainability front. Multipronged challenges like changing demand of Extension through linkingof farmers to market, information delivery mechanism, environmental conservation, strengthening of Farmer Producer Groups, promotion of microenterprises at grass root level, etc. make this EAS to perform more and diverse innovative functions. A lot of emphasis is being given on innovative extension approaches at the field level, in order to ensure an effective implementation of the Transfer of Technology (ToT) process. A plethora of new approaches have emerged and with the inclusion of several innovation functions (like innovation broker, facilitators, negotiator, manager etc.), EAS becomes more dynamic than ever before. The nature of these approaches varies from country to country. Several global experiences and many more has put us a call to bring forward different innovations in extension education and their utility and relevance to improve the agriculture and allied sectors in a holistic manner.