Purpose: This paper examines new coalitions for knowledge diffusion and innovations of young farmers. Understanding their patterns and the factors influencing their cooperative and innovating norms is crucial in improving these young farmers' positioning in the agricultural knowledge and information system. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on…

The role of farming previously dedicated mainly to food production changed with an increasing recognition of the multifunctionality of agriculture and rural areas. It seems obvious to expect that farmers and rural actors adapt themselves to these new conditions, which are innovative and redefine their job. In many regions farmers can increase…

In this article, the practicability of introduction of computer multimedia as an educational tool was compared with the traditional approach for training sugarcane growers in ratoon management practices in three villages of Tamil Nadu state, India using pre-test, post-test control group experimental design. A CD-ROM was developed as a multimedia…

The majority of the population of Vietnam lives in rural areas and depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Consistent growth of the agriculture sector over the past two decades has contributed to a remarkable reduction in the poverty rate and the virtual elimination of hunger in the rural areas of Vietnam. In order to continue the growth…

The effects of farm size on farmers' participation in agricultural development programs initiated by the government in Rivers State (Nigeria) were studied. Results for 300 farmers with varying holdings indicated no effect of farm size on participation, suggesting that extension work could advance without regard to farm size. (SLD)

Agriculture is a main source of employment and is a significant contributor to the gross national product in most of the Latin American countries. In order to meet domestic and export needs, production and productivity must be increased; land tenure systems must be changed to cope with employment and income distribution problems; institutions must…

Prosperity--continuous and sustainable wealth creation--is an elusive goal in South African smallholder agriculture. This paper suggests that agricultural extension can facilitate realising this objective if an appropriate approach to extension can be developed. To develop such an approach requires that the definition of extension and the…

The relationship of the Land Grant College Complex to agribusiness is discussed in this book. Major areas include an overview of the Land Grant College Complex research and policy; the agribusiness-agrigovernment relationship; and the Extension Service. The recommendations of the Task Force called for: (1) a full-scale public inquiry into the land…

A confederation of 10 coffee producers from southern Mexico seeks to improve the lives and incomes of participants by taking advantage of the lucrative organic coffee market. A farmer-to-farmer extension approach teaches over 200 participants to improve the quality and production of coffee in a manner that conserves natural resources and…

The paper identifies the basic factors affecting rural development and the social consequences of rural policies and structural changes in agriculture; it also suggests research areas relating some of these factors to what is happening in America's rural communities. Data sources such as congressional hearings, rural sociologists' critiques,…

This discussion of the impact of information services on the agricultural development of the developing countries of Africa. Covers the importance of information and problems of literacy; sources of agricultural information (extension services, radio, films, publications, friends); and the role of library services. Footnotes are included. (EJS)

This bibliography contains 126 entries of written materials available from the National Agricultural Library's (NAL) AGRICOLA database pertaining to agricultural or rural leadership. Each entry includes bibliographical information and the NAL call number, while some also include abstracts. All the listed materials, including books, reports,…

A 5-year collaborative project between Missouri, Michigan State, and Nebraska Universities to provide new opportunities for rural community self-development through sustainable agriculture had mixed results. This happened because community members did not understand the principles of sustainability, and because the extension education system was…

The Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) provides a forum for participants to articulate strategies to improve the quality of life for rural people. The PAWC is designed to provide a forum for people involved with university programs to exchange ideas and information; encourage development of action-oriented activities directed at…

Agriculture and the rural economic bases in mining, fisheries, forestry, and natural resource extraction are experiencing major social and economic changes. The farm and rural crises of the 1980s are not short-term aberrations, but symptoms of long-term trends that were partially hidden by the relatively good times for agriculture and rural areas…