Purpose: To reflect on the opportunities that a systems understanding of innovation provides for addressing gender issues relevant to women, and to provide some insight on how these might be tackled. Approach: Review of literature relating to gender issues and how they relate to achieving, on the one hand, equity and efficiency goals, and on the…

Purpose: Agricultural advisory services are perceived by many actors involved in rural development as a key driver behind innovation processes in agriculture. However, changes in national and global contexts cause dramatic changes in the orientation of advisory services, their organisation and their methods of intervention. This article aims to…

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…

This paper is the summary of a substantial report presented to the Botswana Ministry of Agriculture. The report evaluates a program of nonformal education provided for women farmers at rural training centers. The analysis reveals that the content of women's courses tends to be wholly domestic. (SSH)

Reviews social work consultation models and describes applications of consultation techniques in rural communities. Discusses following steps in developing rural consultation services: making contact, negotiating contract, formulating goals, problem solving, action, evaluation, and termination. Encourages consultation services development as…

This paper analyzes the considerations that lead policy makers to undertake extension investments as a key public responsibility, as well as the complex set of factors and intra-agency incentives that explain variations in performance between different extension systems. The goals of extension include transferring knowledge from researchers to…

The traditional method of conducting evaluation studies of agricultural extension programs is not sufficient when evaluating the impact on rural development, and must, therefore, be complemented by qualitative studies and careful evaluations of program objectives based on farmer needs. Traditional experimental evaluation studies do not register…

This report outlines the major rural development programs and initiatives of the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies. Diverse economic realities make necessary differential rural development policies and programs. The federal budget deficit makes it necessary that the government use creative and efficient management techniques to…

The land grant universities have, for the most part, performed the organizational and procedural processes stipulated by Title V of the Rural Development Act of 1972 and have succeeded in helping rural people satisfy high priority needs, thereby demonstrating that Title V is a valid approach to rural development. The three-year pilot period,…

Pressures on rural Appalachian families to function as an integral part of the larger American society have led to internal discord and a "Culture of Poverty"; consequently, a new vehicle for rural community reorganization is needed, particularly for low-income rural Appalachian communities. An alternative for non-conventional…

Communities Alive For Living and Learning (Project CALL), designed at Kishwaukee College to help three local, rural communities develop educational, recreational, and cultural programs, is described in this report. The first sections of the report consider the need for and purposes of the project. The Project Coordinator's report presents an…