Australian Extension Issues

A system undergoing change….

securing global food prosperity

Australian Extension Issues• Extension trends• Drivers/issues in Australia• State overview in Australia• Issues:

– Rate & Scope– Smart Design– Innovation Systems

securing global food prosperity

Extension trends over last 50 years• Diffusion of Innovations/Technology Transfer

– 1960’s+, Linear/pipeline approach, single issue focus, productivity focus, research/science push, behaviour change, technology adoption/uptake

• Ag Knowledge & Information Systems– 1990’s+, participatory approach, interdisciplinary,

knowledge & technology, farmer empowerment, co-production, local adaptation & farm business

• Agricultural Innovation Systems– 2000’s+, co-development, transdisciplinary, value chains,

shared learning, responding to change, capacities to innovate and respond

securing global food prosperity

Australia – drivers/issues• Public sector ‘reform’ role of government• Funding base, value proposition, effectiveness and

efficiency• Role of private sector – agribusiness & industry

groups – especially re productivity & co-investment• Explicit focus on partnerships & collaboration• Success address market failure, market

penetration, practice change• National Research, Development & Extension

framework linkage to R&D funding

securing global food prosperity

State overview in Australia • Reduced budgets – across all states• Extension capability retained in government –

Vic, Qld, SA; transferred in NSW/WA/Tas• Clear model – Vic (mixed public/private),

NSW/WA – focus at landholder level &/or private

• Partnership/collaboration focus – Vic, NSW, WA• Increased online/eExtension focus – across all

states

securing global food prosperity

Rate & Scope• Scope of change – the ‘market’ for the change

– Potential adopters– How well the innovation fits with farm context– Scope for segmentation to clarify real adopters

• Rate of change - how quickly the change will occur– Focus of extension to increase rate– Role of voluntary vs obligatory approaches

securing global food prosperity

Smart Design

securing global food prosperity

DISCOVERStep 1. Understand commissioning organisational goals

Step 2. Understand user goals

Step 3. Identifying area of shared interest

Step 4. Possible products or services

DEFINE

Step 5. Develop selection criteria

Step 6. Develop project brief

DESIGN

Step 7. Prototype development

Step 8. Test

Step 9. Improvement

DELIVER

Step 10. Implementation

Step 11. Evaluation

Innovation Systems• From knowledge brokering (research push) to

systemic facilitation (market pull)• Role of innovation broker or systemic

facilitator – Articulation of problems and possibilities– Network composition and linkages– Supporting negotiation and learning networks.

securing global food prosperity

Scientist

Research / Field Station

District Agronomist

Grower

Market (eg. AWB)

Past - LINEAR, RELATIVELY REGULATED CONTINUUM

Now - MULTI-DIMENSIONAL, DEREGULATED, MATRIX

DPI

CSIRO

UNIVERSITIES

RIRDC

L&WCMAs

GRDC

MERCHANTS

CHEM, FERT & SEED COs

NVT, BREEDING COs

GRAIN TRADERS

JOURNALS, MEDIA, NETCONSULTANTS

GROWER GROUPS

BANKS

LOCAL AUTHORITIES

DCEEPA‘E’ zone

‘D’ zone

‘R’ zone

Source: Adapted from Fellowes, 2009

DPI

DPI

Agricultural environment – changing times & models.......