Call for Papers (Special Issue)

Special Issue Publication on Extension Models in The African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND)

The African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND) in partnership with the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) and the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) is now accepting manuscripts for a special issue to examine Agriculture Extension Models for effective delivery of Agriculture Technologies and innovations to target beneficiaries and other Agricultural Innovations Systems stakeholders. The deadline for receiving the Manuscripts is October 30, 2023. Manuscripts should be submitted to info@ajfand.net with the subject SAA-AFAAS Special Issue.

The Special issue will cover:

• Agriculture Extension Models – perspectives on validated and proven extension models and approaches for effective delivery of Agriculture Technologies and innovations
• Pluralistic extension models for agri-food system transformation
• Research, academic, and extension nexus and perspectives that address the Linkage between Extension Models and adoption of Agriculture Technologies at Farm level
• Policy and Extension Nexus for decision making
• Case studies of what works

AJFAND is an internationally recognized publishing journal that covers a wide range of scientific and development disciplines, including agriculture, food, nutrition, environmental management and sustainable development related information. Its primary audience consists of scientists, researchers, policy makers, students and non-Governmental populace whose profession and/or interest lie in sustainable development, agriculture, food security and nutrition. A secondary audience includes a wide range of people such as journalists, lecturers, opinion leaders, who work in various sectors that provide information through newspapers, magazines, lectures, website, radio, television, traditional dance and drama. AJFAND is open to both African and non-African contributors; the contributions must, however, interest African readership.

The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) (www.saa-safe.org) is dedicated to supporting Africa in building resilient and sustainable food systems, an aspiration that underlines “Africa feeding Africa”. The mission of SAA is the promotion of knowledge sharing with, and between, African farmers to enable food, nutrition and income security in their communities. The vision is to support Africa’s bid to build resilient and sustainable food systems. SAA works in close collaboration with national and international agricultural research and extension services, the private sector, NGOs, universities, community-based organizations (CBOs), farmer associations, and donor agencies by designing and implementing practical and innovative agricultural extension and advisory service delivery and capacity-building programs to frontline extension staff and farmers in Africa. SAA also builds talents and skills of national Agriculture extension staff and youths in partnership with Agricultural Universities and Colleges in Africa. SAA interventions in Africa aim to increase farmers’ income, food, and nutrition security through promoting market-oriented, sustainable, resilient, and regenerative agriculture and nutrition-sensitive agricultural innovations as well as building the capacity of Extension personnel and farmers.

The African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) (www.afaas-africa.org), is a Continental body that brings National Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) under one umbrella, with its headquarters in Uganda, Kampala. It operates under the African Union Commission Framework of Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The AFAAS’ goal is “Enhanced utilization of improved knowledge and technologies by agricultural value chain actors to catalyse sustainable inclusive agricultural development to feed and create prosperity for Africa”. Its mission is to ‘‘Promote lesson learning and professionalism, and add value to national agricultural extension and advisory service systems’’; while the vision is Agricultural Advisory Services that effectively and efficiently contribute to sustained productivity, profitability and growth of African agriculture for poverty reduction”.

An extension model is defined as an Agriculture Technology and Innovation Delivery approach or tool with a set of interrelated activities or interventions designed to enhance the effective delivery of extension services, increase dissemination and adoption of improved technologies towards achieving the desired objectives/ goals.

Preference for publication will be given to practical examples of policies, theories, strategies and programs on the Extension models that should be packaged around the following possible topics:

• Sustainable production and Food Systems Transformation – with a focus on climate change, technologies, seed systems and access to Inputs
• Private service extension provision – to generate employment with a focus on youth, women and People with Disability (PwDs)
• Nutritional approaches to tackle micronutrient malnutrition
• Market oriented approaches – market access, information, and business development services
• Agricultural innovations and advisory services - focusing on the adoption of technologies, and their impact at the household level
• Agriculture Extension and Capacity building approaches and systems at farmers, university colleges, and government level
• Multidimensional ICT related digitally-enabled E- extension to scale up technologies and the impact at household and community level
• Agriculture Financial services, including insurance