Exploring the historical context and current transformations in Canada’s agricultural extension and education systems, the session will focus on the role of advisory systems in navigating these changes. It will highlight key policies, frameworks, and strategies that facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration across multiple sectors. The discussion will address the trends and evidence-based action at the provincial and federal levels and how they align with each other and with global and regional trends. Key issues to address under this topic include but are not limited to: 

• Major historical trends that inform and strengthen the transformation happening at the provincial and federal levels. Roles of advisory systems in facilitating transitions away from existing systems.
• The relationship between policy frameworks, political priorities, and extension systems in determining the level of public support for various transitions.
• Extension and advisory approaches and transitions at the provincial and federal levels, focusing on empowering producers and rural communities, integrating local knowledge with scientific advancements, and combining technological innovations with the social dimension
• Alignment of provincial and federal transitions with global and regional trends in extension and education systems. Lessons from regional and global scholarships.
• Key transformations in research, institutions, and policies that strengthen the extension system and support rural and agri-food transitions.
• Evidence, approaches, methods, and tools used to effectively coordinate and collaborate among actors within pluralistic systems where various actors and multiple sectors need to work together.
• Various experiences, approaches, and tools (provincial, federal, and cross-level) that enhance knowledge sharing and learning among different actors and sectors, along with their conditions, models, and effectiveness in promoting user-centred services and the co-creation of knowledge
• Strengths and weaknesses of various approaches and strategic combinations, and choices for advisory systems, such as independent consultants, public-private collaboration, and private-sector initiatives.
• Evidence, approaches, tools, and methods for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of extension systems, especially social and economic value for investment
• The influence of the current system on the capacity needs of the extension system. Methods and tools used to assess those needs and align them with capacity development activities. How do these support learning, innovation, and impact pathways?