ABSTRACT

Worldwide, the purpose of modern agricultural extension is to transfer science- or evidence-based knowledge and technologies to farmers and agriculture-related professionals with the goal of promoting improvements in productivity, food security, rural livelihoods, and agriculture as an engine of economic growth. This chapter briefly reviews the history of extension and how gender affects access to this information. I use the “best fit” framework used for developing extension programs in less-developed countries, and, using the case of a local extension program targeting women in the US, illustrate how extension practices in the developing and developed world can inform each other to benefit historically underserved populations.