Future Trends in Agricultural Extension: A Meta-Analysis

This research aims at studying future trends and orientations of agricultural extension across the world in general and particularly in Iran, drawing upon a descriptive research method and a meta-analysis approach. The results indicate that the agricultural extension and training should be informative-communicative in nature, achieve agricultural globalization and commercialization, raise agricultural productivity, empower and prepare farmers and clients, and facilitate the participation of local groups and non-governmental organizations in development plans. Moreover, in organizing and administerating terms, there should be a certain emphasis on privatization, restructuring, and decentralization. In Iran, the public sector involved in the agricultural extension should decline, so that, as we suggest, the agricultural extension would be devided into the public and private sectors, the former devoted to small farmers and the latter to landowner farmers, and/or there would be a combination of several trends.