Farmer Field Schools and Digital Tools Reshape Agricultural Extension in

A new systematic review in BMC Agriculture says agricultural extension in much of the Global South is shifting away from one-way “research-to-field” delivery. Instead, the evidence indicates that the most effective programs treat farmers as co-creators of knowledge, combining participatory face-to-face learning with digital advisory tools in hybrid models. The review, led by Wycliffe Ongachi of Sher-e-Kashmir University and the University of Nairobi, synthesized 47 peer-reviewed and institutional documents published from 2019 to 2024. Africa accounted for 43% of initiatives, followed by South Asia (30%) and Latin America (17%). Publication peaked in 2021, linked to post-COVID policy shifts toward resilient food systems. Farmer field schools were most common, with reported yield gains of 18% to 30%, while seven meta-analyzed digital-platform programs showed an average 4% yield increase and a 22% improvement in access to recommended inputs.