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Towards inclusive Pluralistic Service Systems

Insights for innovative thinking

Year of publication 2017

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 50 p.

Author Bitzer, V.; Hani, M.;

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (stand-alone)

ISBN 978-92-5-109572-0

Synopsis (short abstract) A growing variety of public and private rural advisory services are available today, leading to increasingly pluralistic service systems (PSS) – in which advisory services are provided by different actors and funded from different sources.  PSS have emerged in many countries as a response to a decline in public sector extension and the increasing demand for tailored, diverse and market-oriented services. Private companies, non-governmental organizations and producer organizations, today play mor e active roles alongside traditional public sector providers. The diversity of service providers in PSS has the potential to make services more inclusive, responsive to demand, context-specific and based on multiple knowledge sources. This is particularly relevant, as farmers are highly diverse, differing in resources, gender, market access, crops and livestock systems, and therefore require different types of information and services to achieve sustainable productivity growth and better livelih oods. Based on extensive literature review, the paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on “inclusive pluralistic service systems”, examining the need for demand-driven service provision, the diverse providers and approaches to service delivery, and the policy considerations and institutional challenges constraining the operation of inclusive PSS.

Meeting Session Number New Directions for Inclusive Pluralistic Service Systems

Language English

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    Rural advisory services play a crucial role in improving smallholders' livelihoods and reducing rural poverty by equipping farmers with the information, knowledge and skills needed to increase their productivity and profitability, to manage risks, and to engage effectively with markets. This entails diverse services that empower farmers to make informed decisions, manage their farms as sustainable businesses, and act collectively to improve economic operations. This wide range of rural advisory services that address agricultural productivity, as well as producers’ organizational, management and marketing capacities, are recognized as market-oriented services. Such diverse services are often provided by multiple service providers from public, private and civil society organizations who engage in the delivery of services in different forms and capacities. Recognizing and leveraging this plurality of service providers has the potential to enhance the quality of services and inclusivity of the service system, ensuring that effective services are accessible to small-scale farmers and responsive to their diverse needs. This policy brief highlights key considerations and recommendations for strengthening rural advisory services in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from a pluralistic and market-oriented system perspective.
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