Review on Agricultural Extension Impacts on Food Crop Diversity and the Livelihood of Farmers in Ethiopia

Agricultural extension could be one tool in attaining the sustainable development goal related to the reduction of extreme poverty and hunger in developing countries like Ethiopia. This review aimed on agricultural extension impacts on food crop diversity and the livelihood of farmers in Ethiopia. According to this review results, agricultural extension impacts on food crop diversity are significantly affected positively and negatively with or without establishing annual joint planning, monitoring, learning, and evaluation, experience sharing through workshops, trainings and joint field visits in a cost-effective manner respectively. In addition, putting in place effective regulatory system and strategic framework for NGO’s extension services through developing extension governance structure are importantly affect agricultural extension towards of food crop diversity and also the possible explanation is that access to extension services is associated with the spread and adoption of new technologies through the provision of technical advice, credit availability, input supplies and even to the provision of market information and building the capacity of farmers, which might be directly re Cooperatives can provide specialized extension services by employing extension agents and/or contracting extension service providers to maximize their expected outputs to their members both in terms of improving the quantity and quality of their produce/ products. According to this review results, agricultural extension impacts the livelihood of farmers are affected by series of agricultural policies and strategies to nurture service provision and promote rural development, practical skills development and learning knowledge and trainings about crop production, natural resources management and animal production at different rates. Therefore, it is important for the government to focus on the awareness of the small holder farmers the way of enhancing the crop diversification and changing their own livelihood by using agricultural extension policies and strategy that is released or prepared by government or non-government organization.

Keywords: Agricultural extension impacts, crop diversity, livelihood, Ethiopia

Abbreviations: ATVET - Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education Training; Das - Development Agents; FTCs - Farmers Training Centers; GDP - Gross Domestic Product; NEIP - National Extension Intervention Program; NGO’s - Non-governmental organizations; PADETES - Participatory Demonstration Training and Extension System; SSA - Sub-Saharan Africa