PROBLEMS OF PUBLIC RURAL EXTENSION IN NORTHEASTERN ARGENTINA

Fernando Landini^1*

ABSTRACT

Rural extension is a valuable strategy to promote rural development and innovation in the context of family agriculture. Taking into account the complexity of rural extension and the multiplicity of problems faced by practitioners in their practice, a research was conducted aimed at describing and understanding the problems faced by them in Northeastern Argentina. A total of 40 semi-structured interviews were conducted to extensionists who work in the public extension system in the provinces of Chaco, Corrientes, Formosa and Misiones, Argentina. The pressure of agribusiness, top-down policies and planning, limited education of extensionists, implementation of inadequate productive practices and farmers’ lack of adoption of technologies were identified as the most important problems.

Key words: advisory services, rural innovation, participation, adoption of technologies

¹ Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de la Cuenca del Plata (UCP) y Universidad de Morón. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas (UCP), Barrufaldi 2364, Posadas, Argentina.

* Corresponding author E-mail: landini_fer@hotmail.com