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As a local organizer in the CAREE community and a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development over the past three years, I keep returning to one question that comes up often in my conversations:
Canada shares many institutional similarities with the United States, so why do we not have a national extension and advisory system like the USA Cooperative Extension Service?
And more importantly, why do we still not have a dedicated academic program in agricultural extension and advisory services in Canada?Despite having a complex and evolving agri-food sector, Canada lacks a publicly funded, university-connected extension system. In the absence of such a structure, are our farmers, rural communities, and agri-food actors truly receiving the support they need to adapt to economic, environmental, and social challenges?
When I look for research on social dimensions within agri-food systems in Canada—such as farmer learning, knowledge mobilization, advisory networks, or rural innovation—I find the literature surprisingly thin. Over the last two decades, only a limited number of publications have examined extension and advisory services in Canada, even though this research has supported significant national and international funding.
I sense that many people in the CAREE community share a similar aspiration:
to see a more formalized and recognized extension and advisory system in Canada, at least beginning with academic leadership and training. Perhaps this starts with building a stronger research foundation, curriculum development, and collaborative networks across provinces.I would like to open this up for discussion:
Do you believe Canada needs a stronger extension and advisory system? Should universities take the lead in developing academic programs in this area? What would it take to make this a reality?Looking forward to your thoughts and experiences.
Absolutely. Coming from Ghana, where agricultural extension and advisory services play a crucial role in transforming rural livelihoods, I believe Canada too can benefit from a stronger, more inclusive system.
A robust extension network bridges the gap between research, policy, and practice, ensuring that farmers, especially those in remote or underserved areas, can access timely information, technology, and support. In Ghana, I’ve seen how well-coordinated extension programs empower smallholder farmers, enhance productivity, and build resilience to climate challenges.
Canada’s agricultural landscape is diverse, with both large-scale and family-run farms facing evolving challenges such as climate change, sustainability demands, and rural youth engagement. Strengthening its advisory and extension systems would not only enhance knowledge transfer but also create a more connected, innovative, and sustainable agri-food sector, something every nation striving for food security and rural vitality should aim for.
This is such a critical issue!
It is hard to believe that we do not have an extension system in Canada. I and other farmers are supported well by our farm associations but really need assistance on the extension issue. Universities definitely have a role to play and I hope we can work together to push for the funding necessary to get nation-wide extension off the ground.
For my part, I want to help create a national cyber extension system to help farmers secure our national food system from cyber threats.As someone in the US, who is seeing a decline in our extension capacities, I think it is more important than ever that both the USA and Canada invest in extension and broaden its support to include more diversified and urban growing systems. In Canada, I wonder if it would be possible to have more universities at least offer extension as a proportion of their time alongside research, teaching, and service to incentivize engagement in that space.
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