Dear Ms Howell and fellow CARIB-AGRI readers, FAO’s Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum) has just launched the new online discussion ”What role can agricultural extension and advisory services play in realizing gender equality and improved nutrition?”. In this open exchange we invite practitioners, experts, students and other stakeholders to share their opinions on how deeply extension services should be involved in addressing gender inequalities and promoting nutrition and what challenges may hinder them from achieving these broader development goals. You can access the online discussion here: http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/activities/discussions/extension-gender-nutrition Further information can be found in the invitation below. Best regards, Max --------------- Max F. Blanck Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum) Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy Tel: +39 06 570 53902 Skype: maxblanckspqr http://www.fao.org/fsnforum [esignature-en] From: FSN-Moderator Sent: 19 June 2017 15:47 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [FSN Forum] NEW TOPIC: What role can agricultural extension and advisory services play in realizing gender equality and improved nutrition? - Reply by 09.07.2017 [FAO] [FSN Forum] DISCUSSION No. 141 • FSN Forum digest No. 1299 What role can agricultural extension and advisory services play in realizing gender equality and improved nutrition? until 09 July 2017 [icon]How to participate Send your contribution to [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>or post it on the FSN Forum website www.fao.org/fsnforum<http://www.fao.org/fsnforum> [©FAO/Believe Nyakudjara]<http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/activities/discussions/extension-gender-nutrition> Dear Members, Today we have the pleasure to invite you to the new online discussion: What role can agricultural extension and advisory services play in realizing gender equality and improved nutrition?<http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/activities/discussions/extension-gender-nutrition> Agricultural extension and advisory services play a crucial role in development and are central to realizing the potential of agricultural innovation. In the context of a shift to a more demand-led and participatory approach, agricultural extension and advisory services can also have an important impact on broader development objectives, such as improved nutrition and increased gender equality. With this exchange, the newly formed Nutrition Working Group of the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS)<https://www.g-fras.org/en/activities/nutrition-and-ras.html> invites you to share your opinion on how deeply extension services should be involved in achieving these broader development goals and what challenges may hinder them from addressing gender inequalities and promoting nutrition. Please share any relevant examples you may know of. You can read the full introduction to the discussion below, which is also available in French<http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/fr/activities/discussions/extension-gender-nutrition> and Spanish<http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/es/activities/discussions/extension-gender-nutrition> on the FSN Forum website<http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/activities/discussions/extension-gender-nutrition>. To take part, please send your contribution to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> or post it online<http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/activities/discussions/extension-gender-nutrition> on the FSN Forum. We look forward to an enriching exchange! Your FSN Forum team The Nutrition Working Group of the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS),<https://www.g-fras.org/en/activities/nutrition-and-ras.html> of which FAO is a member, invites you to reflect on the role that agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS) can play in contributing to reducing gender inequalities and improving nutrition. Gender equality and nutrition are quite intertwined, and there is compelling evidence that gender inequalities significantly undermine food security and nutrition objectives 1). Integrated approaches connecting the design and delivery of programs across disciplines and sectors are instrumental to address such challenges, with their importance having recently been highlighted by the UN Decade of Action for Nutrition. It is in such context that agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS) have been identified as being able to play a significant role in the push for increased gender equality and improved nutrition. Agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS) refers to any organization in the public or private sectors (e.g. NGOs, farmer organizations, private firms etc.) that facilitates farmers’ and other rural actors’ access to knowledge, information and technologies, and their interactions with other actors; and assists them to develop their own technical, organizational and management skills and practices, so as to improve their livelihoods and well-being 2). Over the past few decades the role of AEAS has changed substantially, shifting away from a production oriented, technology transfer model to a greater emphasis on broader development objectives such as improving rural livelihoods through a demand-led, participatory and market-oriented approach. It is in the context of this paradigm shift that a potential role for AEAS in promoting gender equality and supporting nutrition interventions has emerged. Experience suggests that AEAS can play a role in promoting nutrition outcomes, enhancing the food and nutritional security of household members, and ensuring sustainable food systems that promote healthy diets. Whether supported by the public, private, or non-profit sector, AEAS are often seen as a potential channel for influencing the production and consumption decisions of farming households so that they grow, sell, and eat more nutritious and diversified foods and time-saving technologies to alleviate drudgery. At the same time, addressing gender constraints and unequal access to services and technology is essential for AEAS to effectively contribute to improved diets and nutrition. The INGENAES project<https://ingenaes.illinois.edu/>, funded by USAID to assist countries in building more robust, gender-responsive, and nutrition-sensitive extension and advisory services, has begun to address these gaps by supporting the adoption of policies that recognize gender equality and nutrition security as AEAS objectives, training AEAS institutions, and disseminating accessible materials for field-level staff. In Liberia, for instance, INGENAES is collaborating with the University of Cuttington and the Ministry of Agriculture to survey AEAS clients to better understand barriers to gender equitable services, and ensure that high-level policy is translated into action at the field level that meets the needs of both men and women farmers. Concrete experiences and success factors, including approaches, methodologies and tools that work to enhance women’s and men’s equitable access to AEAS as well as nutrition results have however not yet been identified conclusively and examples of successful cases are still sparse. Given the above, the objective of this online discussion is to collect experiences, methodologies, and lessons learned around gender-sensitive and nutrition-enhancing AEAS practices from all over the world. We invite you to join the conversation by reflecting on the following questions: 1. To what extent do you think should AEAS be involved in broader development issues, going beyond providing and facilitating access to knowledge, information and technologies? 2. What specific challenges have you encountered that hinder AEAS from addressing gender inequalities and promoting nutrition? 3. Do you know any examples of AEAS successfully addressing gender inequalities and supporting improved nutrition outcomes? What factors, including specific approaches and tools, led to success? 4. What do you think the role and main activities should be of a global forum such as the GFRAS Nutrition Working Group in helping AEAS to become more gender-sensitive and able to contribute to improved nutrition? The results of this discussion will inform the work of the newly-formed GFRAS Nutrition Working Group, which provides resources and effective coordination opportunities for practitioners and policy makers. We hope that through enabling a broad participation of experts in this exchange, we can stimulate the uptake of innovative gender-sensitive and nutrition-enhancing AEAS practices. Forum participants will become part of the broad community of the GFRAS Nutrition Working Group. They will receive updates about the Working Group’s activities and also have the opportunity to contribute to future initiatives. Thank you and we look forward to a fruitful discussion! Hajnalka Petrics, Soniia David and Fatima Hachem, FAO Edye Kuyper, INGENAES [https://listserv.fao.org/cgi-bin/wa?A3=ind1609&L=FSNFORUM-L&E=base64&P=682471&B=--_009_d9cee45f15884e3199185d8293c52ed7HQWPREXC03hqunfaoorg_&T=image%2Fpng;%20name=%22image006.png%22&N=image006.png] 1) FAO.2017. Strengthening sector policies for better food security and nutrition results. Gender Equality. Policy Guidance Note. Rome. 2) Christoplos. I. 2010. Mobilizing the potential of rural and agricultural extension. FAO. Rome. www.fao.org/fsnforum<http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/> CONTACT US<mailto:[log in to unmask]> • DISCLAIMER<http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/disclaimer-copyright> ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the Carib-Agri-L list, click the following link: &*TICKET_URL(Carib-Agri-L,SIGNOFF);