Abstract

The challenge in this paper is to the international community and development organizations to consider the establishment of systems for diffusing development information on non-agricultural rural needs. I argue that at the same time as there is a need for agricultural knowledge and information systems for rural development (AKIS/RD), there is also an increasingly obvious need for RKIS/RD, or (non-agricultural) rural knowledge and information systems for rural development. AKIS/RD is intended to set forth a shared vision for an integrated approach to agricultural education, research and extension. [See the FAO/World Bank (2000) document “AKIS/RD: Strategic vision and guiding principles” for a full description of the system’s priorities and program.] As part of a RKIS/RD I suggest that community RKIS/RD centers employing communication extension and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) specialists could play a major role in organizing and developing rural program messages and services. Leeuwis (2004) recently informed the “extension” community that Wageningen University has changed the name of its Extension Department to Communications and Innovation, emphasizing in part the social learning role of extension.

Keywords: Communication, Agricultural Extension, Livelihoods, Innovations, Agricultural Knowledge Systems

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