The quiet rise of environmental extension

Abstract

Many may think that the field of agricultural extension, in which farmers and graziers are – or were – provided with advice in order to farm better, has declined, if not largely disappeared in Australia. Certainly, it is no longer a role of agricultural departments as it was in the 1950s– 1990s, but we argue it continues. Instead, the focus has shifted from agricultural production to environmental management, from farmers and graziers to include other types of landholders, and from agricultural departments to regional bodies for natural resource management and private providers. Extension involves transferring information, knowledge and skills that enable individuals, organisations and businesses to improve economic, social and environmental outcomes (Beever 2016). The Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (2021) defines extension in a way that reflects this dual role: