The Role of Agricultural Consultants in New Zealand in Environmental Extension

Autor/inn/en	Botha, Neels; Coutts, Jeff; Roth, Hein
Titel	The Role of Agricultural Consultants in New Zealand in Environmental Extension
Quelle	In: Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 14 (2008) 2, S.125-138 (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1389-224X
Schlagwörter	Extension Education; Consultants; Incentives; Agricultural Production; Foreign Countries; Rural Development; Rural Extension; Privatization; Environment; Research Projects; Agricultural Occupations; Interviews; Surveys; Case Studies; Research and Development; Environmental Education; New Zealand + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Erweitertes Bildungsangebot; Consultant; Berater; Anreiz; Agriculture; Production; Landwirtschaft; Produktion; Agrarproduktion; Landwirtschaftliche Produktion; Ausland; Rural environment; Development; Ländliches Milieu; Entwicklung; Privatisation; Privatisierung; Umwelt; Forschungsvorhaben; Occupation; Beruf; Landwirtschaftlicher Beruf; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Survey; Umfrage; Befragung; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Forschung und Entwicklung; Umweltbildung; Umwelterziehung; Umweltpädagogik; Neuseeland
Abstract	The aim of this study was to understand the role that agricultural consultants in New Zealand were undertaking in the Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) system--and in particular in relation to environmental extension. New Zealand does not have a public extension service and hence there is a strong reliance on consultants and regional councils for environmental management information and advice. As they are independent of the formal RD&E system there is no guarantee that RD&E outcomes are reaching farmers, nor that effective environmental extension is occurring. The study used a combination of case studies, phone interviews with informed persons and a national web survey to explore the role of the consultant. The study found that agricultural consultants are playing an important role in working with farmers to improve agricultural production. There are, however, indications that gaps have developed over time between agricultural consultants and the agricultural research sector which limit the effectiveness of the RD&E system. Agricultural consultants are playing a minimal role in proactive environmental extension because insufficient market forces are driving this role. The paper suggests that a national database of agricultural consultants could improve the flow of tailored information between research and agricultural consultants and also suggests mechanisms where consultants could be better integrated into the RD&E system and provide feedback to research programs. Market failure in the area of environmental extension could be addressed by publicly funded incentive programs. (Contains 2 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10