Investing in human capital is one of the most effective means of reducing poverty and encouraging sustainable development. Agricultural education, extension and training programmes ensure that information on new technologies, plant varieties and cultural practices reaches farmers and those who need them most.
"Food production and rural development, particularly in those countries with significant food security inadequacies, require appropriate and up-to-date technologies which, according to sustainable development criteria and local food traditions, promote modernization of local production methods and facilitate transfer of technology. Full benefit from these technologies will require training, education and skill development programmes for local human resources".
The Rome Declaration on World Food Security (FAO, 1996)
Documents and Tools
Agricultural Education and Training: Issues and Opportunities
Agriculture will remain a major contributor to the economies of most countries, particularly in developing regions in the future. This FAO paper addresses the key questions: what are the changes and adaptations, in structure, strategy and policy, that agricultural education institutions need to make to face the new development challenges of the twenty-first century?
Guide to extension training
Extension is essentially the means by which new knowledge and ideas are introduced into rural areas in order to bring about change and improve the lives of farmers and their families. This FAO guide, directed at extension agents in general, draws on experiences from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Improving agricultural extension: a reference manual
A FAO guide aimed at agricultural extension planners, managers, trainers, educators, and field practitioners, which strives to improve the quality of agricultural extension and generate new ideas and methods for increasing further the cost-effectiveness of agricultural extension programmes. A total of 38 authors from 15 countries contributed to the 23 chapters of this publication.
Training for agriculture and rural development
The articles in this 1997-98 FAO publication address a wide range of issues, strategies and lessons learned from applying agricultural training, education, extension and communication to the development of human resources to achieve food security.
Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger
Described as an ‘international classroom’, ‘Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger’ provides students and teachers with tools, sample materials, lessons, and an interactive forum that addresses: what are hunger and malnutrition and who are the hungry? Why are people hungry and malnourished? What can we do to help end hunger?
World Bank Education Sector Strategy
This report conveys the Bank's global priorities and programmes to help countries progress toward international education goals and improve the quality of teaching and learning.
Education for Poverty Eradication
Case studies and examples of UNESCO’s programmes in education that will contribute towards poverty eradication – from developing a model curriculum for entrepreneurial skills for small businesses in Asia and Pacific, to women’s literacy, savings and credit programmes in Nepal.
Education in Sustainable Development
Prepared as a background paper for the sixth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (20 April-1 May 1998), this collection of case studies discusses the role of major groups (women; children and youth; indigineous peoples; NGOs; local authorities; workers and trade unions; business and industry; scientific and technological community; farmers) in sustainable development education.
Worldwide Initiatives
Global Development Learning Network (GDLN)
Initiated by the World Bank in June 2000, the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) is a global partnership of more than 70 learning centers (GDLN Affiliates) that use advanced information and communication technologies to connect people working in development around the world.
World Bank Institute
The World Bank Institute is the capacity development arm of the World Bank, and helps countries share and apply global and local knowledge to meet development challenges. WBI's capacity development programs are designed not only to build skills among groups of individuals involved in performing tasks, but also to strengthen the organizations in which they work, and the sociopolitical environment in which they operate.
International Development Goals
Universal primary education in all countries by 2015 is one of the International Development Goals adopted by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the members of the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD, and many other agencies.
Education for All Initiative (EFA)
Since the Education for All movement was launched at the World Conference on Education for All (Jomtien, Thailand, 1990), governments, NGOs, civil society, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies and the media have taken up the cause of providing basic education for all children, youth and adults.
United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
The overall goal of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development is to integrate the values inherent in sustainable development into all aspects of learning to encourage changes in behavior that allow for a more sustainable and just society for all.
World Links for Development (WorLD)
The programme provides Internet connectivity and training for teachers, teacher trainers and students in developing countries in the use of technology in education. WorLD links students and teachers in secondary schools in developing countries with schools in industrialized countries for collaborative learning via the Internet.
International Literacy Day
Since 1966, UNESCO has celebrated International Literacy Day on September 8 with the aim to sensitize and mobilize international public opinion and to elicit their interest and active support for literacy activities.
Links
World Bank Education Site
The World Bank aims to assist clients to improve access to relevant learning opportunities, to use education resources wisely and fairly and to build stronger institutional capacity.
UNICEF – Education is a right
Information on the full scope of UNICEF programmes in education aim for rights-based, child-friendly learning environments, which are inclusive of children, effective with children, protective and healthy for children, and gender-sensitive .
Global Distance EducationNet (Global DistEdNet)
A knowledge guide to distance education which is designed to help clients of the World Bank and others interested in using distance education for human development. This Network consists of a core site located at the World Bank with regional sites in all parts of the world.
NetAid Global Schoolhouse
The NetAid Global Schoolhouse is a worldwide community of individuals, groups, companies and grass-roots organizations who work together to ensure that all children get the opportunity to learn.
The African Virtual University (Avu)
A "university without walls", AVU uses modern information and communication technologies to give the countries of sub-Saharan Africa direct access to some of the highest quality academic faculty and learning resources throughout the world.
International Extension College (IEC)
The educational NGO works to promote the development and improvement of the quality of life in less developed countries through the expansion of educational opportunities: its core activity is the provision of training, consultancy, information and technical support to institutions, governments and projects.
Program and Project Information System on Education (PRISME)
A directory of donor funded education projects in sub-saharan Africa, contains data is collected from 27 donors and compiled by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) - a network of partners promoting the development of effective education policies based on African leadership and ownership
MSU Global Access
MSU Global Access is an Internet portal to information selected by experts of the Michigan State University Office of International Studies and Programs. It contains a database of links to Websites, features country specific pages, maps, and international news.
