UWA Papers on Agricultural Extension and
Adoption and Diffusion of Innovations in Agriculture
Abstract
- Agricultural extension policy in Australia:
The good, the bad and the misguided
Sally P. Marsh and David J. Pannell
Agricultural and Resource Economics, The University of W.A., Nedlands, 6907
Abstract
Rapid change in the provision of agricultural extension services is occurring in all states of Australia. In most states, policies and practices have increasingly been based on considerations of private/public goods, user pays and cost recovery. In addition, the delivery of extension has been strongly influenced by changing administrative structures (e.g. Funder-Purchaser-Provider) and a change in the paradigm within which the extension community operates. These changes in policy/ideology/paradigm have had major impacts, including a rapid increase in the amount of extension being delivered by the private sector. In this paper we review changes in extension policy and provision and discuss them in the framework of what is known about the adoption and diffusion of agricultural technologies. We conclude that there are positive aspects to the changes and that, for some technologies, they are appropriate for enhancing adoption. However, we have a number of reservations, particularly about their effectiveness in assisting the adoption of complex environmental and farming system technologies.
Citation: Marsh, S.P. and Pannell, D.J. (1998). Agricultural extension policy in Australia: The good, the bad and the misguided. Contributed paper to the 42nd Annual Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, University of New England, NSW, Jan 19-21, 1998.
Marsh, S.P. and Pannell, D.J. (2000). Agricultural extension policy in Australia: The good, the bad and the misguided. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 44(4): 605-627.
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Adoption, diffusion and extension papers, UWA