Overview of Extension Page 1 of 4

OVERVIEW OF EXTENSION

Definition of Terms

Concept of Extension
 the core concept of extension is education (Mosher, 1975)
 is an educational process offered to persons in rural or out-of-school
communities (Sison, 1981)
 is an educational activity outside the usual school that involves formal institutions
reaching out to needy clients to improve their health, wealth or socio-cultural
well-being (Valera, et.al., 1987)
 a process of integrating indigenous and derived knowledge, attitudes and skills to
determine what is needed, how it can be done, what local cooperation and
resources can be mobilized and what additional assistance is available and may
be necessary to overcome particular obstacles (Sim and Hilmi, 1984)
 a method of non-formal education aimed at inducing behavioral changes to
improve technical knowledge and skills to enable in income generating projects
and thereby increase income (Swanson, 1984; Misra, 1990)

Common elements in the definitions of extension (Roling, 1998)

1. Extension is an intervention
2. Extension uses communication as leverage instrument
3. Extension depends on voluntary change as a condition for effect
4. Extension includes targeting processes
5. Extension is deployed by institutions

In general, extension is a professional communication intervention deployed by an

institution to induce change in voluntary behaviors with a presumed public or collective
ultility (Roling, 1988).

Types of Extension

A. Agricultural extension – offers technical advice on agriculture to farmers, and

also supplies them with the necessary inputs and services to support their
agricultural production. It provides information to farmers and passes to the
farmers the new ideas developed by agricultural research stations. Agricultural
extension programs cover a broad area including improved crop varieties, better
livestock control, improved water management, and control of weeds, pests and
plant diseases. Where appropriate, agricultural extension may help to build up
local farmers’ groups and organizations so that they can benefit from extension
programs.
B. Non-agricultural extension – this includes all activities and efforts not directly
related to agriculture or livestock production, but which are important to the farm
families. Home economics, family health and nutrition, population education and
community development are all non-agricultural extension activities.

Historical Background of Extension

Started in Europe as early as the 16th century

The Earl of Clarendon’s letter is a classic document in the early extension history
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As an organized university function “Extension education” was first introduced in

1873 by Cambridge University in England
The US Department of Agriculture and the Land Grant University were
established by federal legislation passed in 1862
Towards the end of the 19th century, agricultural extension became widespread in
the US

In the Philippines:

Spanish regime - Extension work began in what was then Granja Modelos or
Model Farms.
October 8, 1901 - Beginning of the extension work during the American regime
April 30, 1902 - A definite plan for extension followed with the establishment
of the Bureau of Agriculture.
July 10, 1910 - Extension was made a separate unit of the Bureau of
Agriculture with the creation of the Demonstration and
Extension Division.
1923 - The name of the Demonstration and Extension Division was
changed to Agricultural Extension Service. In the same year,
Home Extension Work (later known as Division of Home
Economics) started in the Division of Organic Chemistry of
the Bureau of Science mainly for food preservation. It was
during this year that Miss Maria Y. Orosa founded the Home
Extension Service.
1929 - The Bureau of Agriculture was reorganized resulting in the
formation of the Bureau of Animal Industry and the Bureau of
Plant Industry. Each bureau continued to expand its
extension activities.
1936 - The Division of Home Economics was merged with the
Division of Plant Utilization of the Bureau of Plant Industry.
Commonwealth Act 85- Established the provincial extension services. The position of
the Provincial Agriculturist was also created.
1937 - A Livestock Extension Division was created in the Bureau of
Animal Industry (BAI).
1947 - The work of the Division of Plant Industry was made purely
research and the Home Extension Section Division of the
BAI.
1952 - RA 680 created the Bureau of Agricultural Extension (BAEx)
to consolidate all extension activities in the Philippines
1963 - Agricultural Land Reform Code signed into law through RA
3844; Agricultural Extension renamed into Agricultural
Productivity Commission (APC)
1966 - Rice and Corn Program created through EO 64
1969 - NFAC was formed through EO 183
November 1, 1972 - PD 970 reverted APC to DLGC
1982 - EO 803 established the Integrated Pest Management
1987 - Creation of Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) through EO
116
1997 - Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization through RA 8435
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Extension in the Philippines has expanded and had been undertaken by private,
religious or civic organizations including educational institutions. Historically, extension
was intended as an agricultural assistance service to increase productivity but through
time, it has expanded and now involves non-governmental programs and other clients
whose concerns lie in the development of human needs.

Philosophy, Principles and Objectives of Extension

Philosophy of Extension

 Extension is based on the philosophy that rural people are intelligent, capable
and desirous in receiving information and making use of it for their individual and
community welfare.
 Extension starts where the people are and with they have. Improvement can
begin from there.
 The classroom is where the people are: on the farms, in their homes and
villages.
 People learn to do by doing.
 Extension works with and through the people. Local leaders are trained by
extension workers to extend the information to others.
 Education is carried on either with groups of people or with individuals.
 The spirit of self-help is essential for democratic living.
 Extension thus involves working with people where they are, building on what
they have and adding to what they know.

Objectives of Agricultural Extension

1. To act as intermediary between agricultural development institutions and target

groups, making available to farmers the latest results of research for
understanding and application.
2. To aid in the transfer and adaptation of research results to/by the farmers as
target groups/clientele.
3. To establish/structure new institutions whether state-organized or self-help
institutions that can influence the whole agricultural production system.
4. To mobilize all necessary resources in extension work including farm inputs,
concerned agencies/institutions, funds, facilities and experts/people involved in
the dissemination/adoption of innovation in the rural environment.

Principles of Extension

1. Economic necessity. Extension serves the economic objectives of the nation

through the productive use of the country’s natural resources.
2. Extension bases its programs on people’s needs, as well as on technical and
national economic needs.
3. Extension is an education process. It is an informal educational process which
aims to teach rural people how to improve their level of living by their own efforts,
through making wise use of natural resources for the benefit of the individual, the
family, the community and the nation.
4. Extension cooperates with other organizations which aim to develop individuals,
community and nation.
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Changes in Extension

According to Cardenas (1995), much of the problem in conventional research and

extension has been in the process of generating and transferring technology, and that
much of the solution lies in farmers’ own capacities and priorities. Farmers’ active
involvement as partners in all aspects of research and extension under the more
participatory model has led into a pattern of mutually coherent concepts, values,
methods and actions along a populist philosophy and is termed a “paradigm shift.” The
paradigm shift is characterized as participatory because it involves local people as active
participants in all phases of research and extension; it can bridge the gap between
development professionals and resource poor farmers; it leads to finding new way to
understanding local knowledge, strengthen local capabilities and specially, it is a
potential in meeting local needs.

Models of Technology Transfer

1. Top-down Technology Transfer Model

- one way process
- weak in involving farmers
- works well in activities focused on single commodity in a relatively uniform
and predictable environment
- fixed roles of participants (R-E-F) and little flexibility for the human
element
2. Feedback Technology Transfer (FTT) Model
- feedback function remains vested exclusively with the extension service
3. Modified FTT Model
- scientist is isolated from the farmer; depends on poor/incomplete information
from extension in designing
- fixed roles of R-E-F
4. Farmer-Back-to-Farmer Model
- research begins and ends with farmers
- extensionist is the active participant in diagnosis, design, on-farm & experiment
station testing, farmer evaluation/adaptation, monitoring of its adaptation
- farmer is involved in all stages of FSRE
- basically dynamic model; no fixed role of various participants (R-E-F)
5. Farmer First Model
- answering to the weaknesses of the Farmer First Model, perspective is shifting to
“beyond the farmer first”. This perspective provides analytical depth and
presents more radical programs that incorporates a socio-politically differentiated
view of development where factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, class and
religion are related.