Participatory Agricultural Extension: Experiences from West Africa

The crisis in African agriculture is reflected in its inability to provide food security for rural families and adequate food supplies for the growing urban populations. Factors that have
contributed to the crisis include the: · exclusion of women farmers from extension programmes despite their primary role
in agriculture; · promotion of inappropriate technical packages; · inadequate national seed development and delivery systems that do not reach small farmers; · weak links between agricultural researchers and small farmers; and, · inflexible and under-funded extension services.