Developing Sustainable Farmer-led Extension Groups: Lessons from a Bangladeshi Case Study

Abstract

The limited effectiveness and fiscal unsustainability of professional-led public sector extension systems in developing countries have aroused considerable interest in Farmer-led Extension (FLE) approaches in the recent decades. A key challenge facing these initiatives is a lack of sustainability of the farmer groups developed through project or programme assistance. This not only makes FLE initiatives costly, but also creates dependency among farmers. Despite this, the knowledge of what can make externally-initiated FLE groups sustainable is scant and largely anecdotal. In this paper we provide an empirically-drawn and theoretically-informed framework to fill this knowledge gap.

The framework is based on a comparative case study of six non-sustained and four sustained FLE groups initiated through an innovative extension reform project in Bangladesh and a comparison of the results with the theories of collective action.

We have identified four sets of inter-related factors called ‘capitals’ affecting group sustainability: ‘financial capital’ accumulated through group-based microcredit activities, an effective governance mechanism called ‘institutional capital’ devised by the members themselves, good quality group leaders and facilitators called ‘human capital’, and past relations of exchange, reciprocity, trust and respect called ‘social capital’ among members and between members and professional facilitators. While microcredit can benefit sustainability, it suits women rather than men farmers. Good quality leaders and facilitators are not only technically competent, but also fair, innovative, tenacious, self-sacrificing, trustworthy, honest, and sincere. All forms of social capital are not useful for group sustainability and social capital can make a positive impact only when the other types of capital—human and institutional—are present within a group.

To improve group sustainability, FLE programmes should take a holistic approach and address the four kinds of capitals proposed in this paper. Key strategies may include: combining extension (information or advisory functions) with economic activities but avoiding a one-size-fits-all solution, recruiting group leaders and facilitators by going beyond technical considerations (e.g. taking into account the personality traits identified in this study), adopting a bottom-up approach in devising group rules and regulations, and taking into account both the positive and negative aspects of social capital.

The originality of our research lies in the explanatory framework that we provide in this paper. Our study also contributes to the intellectual debates on social capital by exhibiting the dual roles that social capital plays and its complex interrelationships with other forms of capital.     

社会资本与社区脱贫——对社会资本独立性功能的分析

社会资本是当代西方社会科学研究的一个重要概念和分析工具。在不同学者那里,社会资本的概念有着不同的界定。西方有关社会资本的主流理论认为,社会资本具有独立于其他资本的独立性功能,但是最近大量的实证研究发现,社会资本是否真正具有独立性功能在社区脱贫项目的实践中面临着许多现实的困难,主要的问题在于社会资本的积累,特别是对社区经济发展有重要影响的跨越型和垂直型社会资本在很大程度上都依赖于行动者所处的社会和经济阶层。由此可见,西方主流社会资本理论可能存在着一些内在的缺陷,而这些对我们进一步探讨社会资本理论在中国社区经济研究领域的价值具有重要的借鉴意义。     

后脱贫时代民族地区教育扶贫的困境与优化策略

教育是促进民族地区经济社会发展与个体生活质量改善的重要力量。在后脱贫时代,探求民族地区教育扶贫现状有助于优化教育的社会功能与民生功能。民族地区教育扶贫面临与经济社会发展欠协调、民族文化内生力量被忽略、民生改善主体性待提升等现实困境。民族地区教育扶贫的困境源于教育扶贫目标窄化、教育扶贫制度不健全、学校教育职能单一、地方课程开发与实施不力。注重教育扶贫的民生价值取向,转变教育扶贫政策重心,优化学校教育类型结构,加强培养民族成员的文化主体性,是推进民族地区教育扶贫的现实策略。     

河南省非贫困县全面脱贫思路与策略

随着精准扶贫工作的深入开展,当前河南省非贫困县全面脱贫的矛盾日益凸显,然而制约非贫困县全面脱贫的客观环境、扶贫对象个人禀赋不足、扶贫工作执行不力等因素并没有明显改善。鉴于此,有必要全面厘清非贫困县全面脱贫的思路,更加注重扶贫政策的针对性,扶贫手段的多样性,扶贫效果的稳定性,着力补齐基础设施短板,扶贫手段向非收入转变,积极探索非贫困县扶贫的长效机制。     

攻坚阶段我国职业教育扶贫的问题、成因及对策

职业教育扶贫是我国脱贫攻坚的重要组成部分。攻坚阶段,职业教育扶贫面临扶贫对象识别如何更加精准、扶贫主体间如何更加协同、扶贫供给如何精准对接需求、扶贫成效如何更具持续性等问题。而引发这些问题的主要原因是职业教育扶贫实践中扶贫对象主体地位不够明确,扶贫治理机制有待完善,职业教育与培训供给乏力,贫困人口发展能力培养受限等。职业教育要更好地服务脱贫攻坚,需要构建基于扶贫对象需求的职业教育扶贫制度保障,完善基于多方参与的职业教育扶贫治理机制,拓展基于多元优质的职业教育供给内容,遵循基于持续发展能力培养的目标定位。     

灾害的社会经济影响及灾后扶贫对策研究

我国在历史上就是自然灾害多发的国家,特别是近年,地震等重大自然灾害的频发,严重影响着我国国民经济的正常发展。自然灾害与贫困之间呈现出正相关性。自然灾害不仅对社会经济循环系统产生重大影响,而且导致大量的贫困人口出现,灾后的扶贫救助就成为一个新型的研究课题。本文借鉴国际社会经验并结合我国实际情况,从制度治理、扶贫救助模式、资金运用及NGO参与、创建地震保险制度等方面提出了的相应的灾后扶贫对策。     

扶贫新政与农民职业教育培训策略的选择

《中国农村扶贫开发纲要(2011-2020年)》在扶贫标准、扶贫目标、扶贫区域、扶贫路径和扶贫策略等方面呈现出了一系列新的特点。依据反贫困理论、参与发展理论以及我国农村贫困的现实特征,基于职业教育路径的扶贫开发,必须以崭新的理念指导农民职业教育培训工作;必须积极投资于面向农村弱势群体的职业教育培训事业;必须建立有利于保障农民接受职业教育培训权益的制度与政策,搭建贫困人群自我发展能力建设的平台;必须精确锁定贫困目标人群,积极组织和推进现代农民职业教育培训工程。     

脱贫攻坚背景下农村基层干部培训体系的创新与实践

为了实施教育扶贫助力脱贫攻坚,我们进行了贫困地区农村基层干部培训体系的实践探索,经过三年研究实践,创建了脱贫攻坚背景下农村基层干部培训体系,并在培训实践中应用,为贫困地区农村基层干部培训提供了借鉴。     

乡村绿色发展与绿色技能开发的扶贫关照

乡村绿色发展不仅是改善乡村生态环境、促进农村居民健康,更是解决广大农村贫困问题的有效途径.乡村绿色发展以及生态产业脱贫都需要乡村居民具备绿色技能.乡村绿色技能开发的关键是明确绿色技能需求.乡村绿色技能开发的实践则需要通过基础教育奠定通用绿色技能开发基础、通过各类教育培训传播绿色发展理念、形成专业绿色技能开发体系、通过教育扶贫充分开发乡村富余人力资源以及综合利用多种类型政策工具、借鉴国内外绿色技能开发经验等多个途径来落实.     

国内教育扶贫的研究进展与思考

教育扶贫是国家扶贫工作的重要举措,也是学界研究的热点。文章从研究的时间分布、研究主体、研究的方法、研究内容四个维度对近年来国内学者的教育扶贫研究成果进行了梳理和分析,对未来研究进行了思考与展望。     

Extension Approach for an Effective Fisheries and Aquaculture Extension Service in India

Abstract

Purpose: Public-funded fisheries extension services have been blamed as poor and responsible for the slow pace of aquaculture development in India. The present investigation aimed to find concrete interventions to streamline the extension service by understanding the research-extension-farmer linkage indirectly in terms of information sources of aqua farmers and fishery extension officers and assessing the existing organizational, manpower and extension capabilities of Departments of Fisheries of sample states.

Design/methodology/approach: A random sample of 1008 brackishwater aqua farmers, a purposive random sample of 60 extension personnel and 45 researchers were interviewed to collect primary data for the study. A multidimensional Organizational Analysis Index was developed specifically for the study. The Wilcoxon paired rank test was employed to analyze and compare the perceptions of the fishery extension personnel.

Findings: The study revealed that 90% of aqua farmers depend on private extension sources for information; information-seeking by the extension personnel was less than 50%; and less than 50% of the researchers expressed having had consultations with the extension agencies. Results indicated that the respondents differ significantly over the existing and ideal organizational, manpower and extension attributes of the fisheries departments. An extension approach to evolve a National Fisheries and Aquaculture Extension Service (NFAES) to strengthen fisheries departments with structural and functional realignments and partnership with farm leaders and fisheries professionals is suggested in order to streamline the fisheries and aquaculture extension service in India.

Practical implications: The findings of the study may enlighten the fisheries development planners and provide indications to initiate attempts to streamline the fisheries extension departments for an effective extension service in India.

Originality/value: The study was originally conducted by the authors. Nothing similar has been previously published or is currently under consideration for publication by another journal.     

学生相对贫困与新时代教育扶贫策略——基于中西部6个省18个扶贫重点开发县的调查

中共十九届四中全会提出“坚决打赢脱贫攻坚战,建立解决相对贫困的长效机制”,为新时代脱贫攻坚指明了方向。而教育扶贫是脱贫攻坚的重要组成部分之一,通过对中西部6省18个扶贫开发重点贫困县(区)180余所农村中小学调查发现,新时代贫困地区学生还面临六大相对贫困问题:经济贫困、知识贫困、能力贫困、情感贫困、文化贫困、信息贫困。这些相对贫困问题如果不及时解决,势必会影响脱贫攻坚的整体效果。为此,提出加强创新学生资助方式、提高贫困地区农村学校质量、加强就业创业教育、高度关注贫困生群体的心理问题、坚持内源发展理念、强化信息技术与教育的深度融合六条对策建议。     

社会工作介入我国反贫困实践的空间与途径

社会工作能够在扶贫中发挥重要作用.我国目前的扶贫没有脱离传统的救济式扶贫政策的影响.克服扶贫政策的缺陷与不足,需要专业社会工作的介入.社会工作的介入,是修正与弥合扶贫政策不足、提升扶贫对象能力的重要举措.本文分析了社会工作在扶贫中的重要作用,探讨了社会工作在扶贫领域的介入空间与介入途径.     

e-Agriculture Prototype for Knowledge Facilitation among Tribal Farmers of North-East India: Innovations,Impact and Lessons

Abstract

Purpose: This case study deals with the implementation methodology, innovations and lessons of the ICT initiative in providing agricultural extension services to the rural tribal farming community of North-East India.

Methodology: This study documents the ICT project implementation challenges, impact among farmers and briefly indicates lessons of the e-agriculture project.

Findings: The e-agriculture prototype demonstrated that the Rs. 2,400 (USD 53) cost of the extension services to provide farm advisory services was saved per farmer per year, expenditure was reduced 3.6 times in comparison with the conventional extension system. Sixteenfold less time was required by the farmers for availing the services and threefold less time was required to deliver the services to the farmers compared with the conventional extension system. However, this article argues that in less developed areas, information through ICTs alone may not create expected development. Along with appropriate agricultural information and knowledge, field demonstrations and forward (farm machinery, manure, seeds) and backward linkages (post-harvest technology and market) need to be facilitated with appropriate public–private partnership between knowledge and other rural advisory service providers for agricultural development.

Practical implications: This article lists a number of practical lessons which will be useful for the successful planning and implementation of e-agriculture projects in developing countries.

Original value: This article is a first case study on ICTs for agricultural extension initiatives among the tribal farmers who dominate the less developed North-East India.     

扶贫视角下的林业环境净化功能补偿探讨

林业的生态功能补偿是现阶段推进我国林业产业结构调整、实现林业可持续发展和维持生态系统良性循环的关键性措施。我国对于生态补偿的研究始于20世纪80年代,也制定了生态补偿的相关政策,但是没有就林业环境净化功能补偿问题进行研究,更没有将生态补偿和扶贫有机的结合起来进行研究。文章基于扶贫的角度,从补偿的依据、补偿的对象、补偿的标准和补偿资金来源探讨林业环境净化功能补偿问题,并提出相关政策建议,从而为林业生态功能补偿措施的制定者提供参考。     

精准扶贫视角下贫困大学生就业帮扶研究

贫困大学生是我国就业大军中的特殊弱势群体,因为社会就业环境的影响、高校就业教育指导不到位、家庭经济困难的制约以及自身综合素质的欠缺,使得他们陷入重重就业困境。切实解决好贫困大学生的就业问题是全面打赢脱贫攻坚战的必然要求,需要政府、高校、社会和贫困大学生个人共同努力,构建四位一体的贫困大学生就业帮扶复合路径。     

非线性的混沌动力学的贫困度量模型

从非线性动力学的视角出发,运用混沌理论的方法对贫困进行度量.通过建构贫困模型和贫困的影响力模型,描述了贫困的变化趋势,精确预测了贫困对社会系统的影响程度.     

贫困女大学生心理特征及心理扶助策略

由物质贫困导致心理贫困,由心理贫困导致贫困的＂代际传递＂的循环怪圈需要清除。贫困女大学生心理扶贫十分必要和紧迫,高校可以从提高贫困女大学生的元认知能力、建立心理预防网络、团体辅导、推进党、团、社团工作等方面关怀贫困女大学生。     

高等教育扶贫精准供给的问题、模式与路径

贫困治理进入后扶贫时代,扶贫供给侧改革的重要性更加凸显。通过审视高等教育扶贫供给侧发现:传统高等教育扶贫观难抑贫困再生,离散化的高等教育扶贫制度消解了扶贫效果,失衡的高等教育扶贫资源供给阻碍了扶贫效能发挥。优化高等教育扶贫供给模式既是教育与经济社会协同发展的需要,也是高等教育系统落实精准扶贫思想的体现。以人为本的理念指引、体系化的制度保障和差异化的资源供给是实现高等教育扶贫精准供给的有效路径。     

基于企业社会责任视角的扶贫开发思考——以广东本地企业为例

扶贫开发是我国一项伟大的复兴历史工程,影响深远。企业不仅有追求利益最大化的需求,也应具有参与扶贫开发建设的社会责任感,积极参与扶贫开发也是提升企业社会责任感的重要手段。文章以企业参与扶贫开发为例,考察广东省扶贫开发工作的现状,分析目前广东本地企业参与扶贫开发工作过程中存在的一些问题,提出促进企业参与扶贫开发工作的建议和措施。