Academic Papers and Discussion Papers and Briefs

› Tata, J.S. and P.E. McNamara. 2016. “Social Factors That Influence Use of ICT in Agricultural Extension in Southern Africa.” Agriculture 6(2), 15.

› McNamara, P.E. and J.S. Tata. 2015. “Principles of Designing and Implementing Agricultural Extension Programs for Reducing Post-harvest Loss.” Agriculture 5(4): 1035-1046.

› Bicksler, A.J., R.M. Bates, R.R. Burnette. 2016. “The Current and Future Roles of the Small Farm Resource Center in Horticulture Extension and Advisory Services: Lessons Learned from Seven Case Studies in SE Asia“

› Odongo, Dorine. 2013. “Agricultural Information Access Among Smallholder Farmers: Comparative Assessment of Peri-Urban and Rural Settings in Kenya.” Agricultural Information Worldwide (6): 133-137.

• Odongo Abstract: Farmers continuously gather new information to keep up with the emerging trends and technologies, and they also store and share this knowledge. The agricultural system in Kenya includes multiple sources available for the farmers as well as a wide range of ICT (information and communications technology)-based innovations for knowledge acquisition. This study investigated farmers’ access to different sources of knowledge as well as ICT through a comparative assessment between peri-urban and rural settings, and found that setting and information needs are major influences on sources used. Despite the huge emphasis placed on the need to use ICTs to facilitate information access among smallholder farmers, the adoption levels of these technologies is still very low. This is largely due to lack of information about the existence of such technologies, and there is a need to create awareness about the ICT-based innovations and the potential they have for addressing the challenge of information access among farmers. 

• Improving the Monitoring and Evaluation of Agricultural Extension Programs (2016)
• Human Resource Development for Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services: Training, Adult Learning, and Field Methods (2016)
• Improving the Monitoring and Evaluation of Agricultural Extension Programs (2016)
• ICT – Powering Behavior Change for a Brighter Agricultural Future (2015)
• Farmer Organizations and Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services: A Framework and Reflection on Cases from Sub-Saharan Africa (2015)
• A Review of Sustainable Financing of Extension Services in Developing Countries (2014)
• Linking Smallholder Farmers to Markets and the Implications for Extension and Advisory Services (2014)
• Adaptation Under the “New Normal” of Climate Change: The Future for Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (2014)
• Options and Strategies for Information and Communication Technologies within Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (2013)
• Reducing the Gender Gap in Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services – How to Find the Best Fit for Men and Women Farmers (2013)