Enhancing Extensionists’ Capabilities in Female Farmers’ Groups (FFGs) Empowerment: An Integrative Approach
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Authors
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Siti Amanah
Institut Pertanian Bogor
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Siti Syamsiah
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Rafnel Azhari
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Anna Snider
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Paul McNamara
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Bharat Bhushan
Keywords:
Business model canvas, Extension capability, Female-led farmer groups, Gender-sensitive extension, Participatory, Pluralistic extensionAbstract
Strengthening extensionists' skills is crucial for advancing agricultural development. The research aims to assess the extension workers’ capacity following online training on integrated extension approaches. The research was conducted from February 2024 to February 2025 in Bogor, Karawang, Subang, and Purwakarta Regencies, West Java, Indonesia, involving 51 extension workers as the primary research participants and supporting 153 farmer groups comprising 3,825 farmers. The extension workers participated in the training focused on supporting female farmer groups. A competency gap analysis highlighted the need for online training modules to enhance extensionists' skills in non-production-related topics. The modules covered four areas, including participatory extension, pluralistic extension, gender-sensitive extension, and the Business Model Canvas. The modules aimed to improve facilitation and entrepreneurial skills. Reflective assessments and field mentoring showed that extensionists enhanced their capabilities in participatory and pluralistic approaches. However, challenges remain in implementing gender-sensitive extension, as many still struggle to identify gender disparities in economic activities and decision-making roles. These results suggest that while integrated training improves professional and technical skills, larger institutional and cultural changes are needed to fully incorporate gender sensitivity into extension. The program emphasizes the importance of continuous participatory learning, gender, and business approaches for inclusive agricultural progress.
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