Transforming Agricultural Extension Service Delivery through Innovative Bottom–Up Climate-Resilient Agribusiness Farmer Field Schools

Conventional approaches to agricultural extension based on top–down technology transfer and information dissemination models are inadequate help smallholder farmers tackle increasingly complex agroclimatic adversities. Innovative service delivery alternatives, such as field schools, exist but mostly implemented in isolationistic silos with little effort integrate them for cost reduction greater technical effectiveness. This article presents a proof-of-concept develop an innovative, climate-resilient school methodology, integrating the attributes of Farmers’ Field School, Climate Climate-Smart Agriculture indigenous knowledge weather indicators one package address gaps, while sensitizing actors implications policy advocacy. Some 661 local facilitators, 32% women 54% youth, were trained innovation across East Africa. The initiative has reached 36 agribusiness champions working 237,250 Kenya, Tanzania Uganda. Initial results show that is strengthening adaptation behaviour champions, supply chain actors, reducing training costs. Preliminary findings indicate process rapidly shaping group adaptive thinking. integrated approach offers lessons transform improve food security resilience. bundles costs previously separate processes into joint, simultaneous process, also through bundled messaging. Experience from this can be leveraged scalable participatory models, especially scaling out farmer-to-farmer replication up farmer networks.