Enhancing agricultural extension in Australia

Welcome back to Enablers of Change, a place where we explore all things agricultural extension and change. We’re John James and Denise Bewsell. Thanks for tuning in! Today, we’re diving into a fascinating project we recently wrapped up, the Australian Extension Capacity and Capability – A Map and a Gap Analysis, funded by AgriFutures Australia.

We know what you’re thinking: another research project. But this one was pretty special, because it wasn’t just about farmers or research—it was about us, the extension workforce. How many of us are there? Do we have the skills we need? And what’s holding us back? It was a chance to hold up the mirror and see where we’re at… and where we’re going.

So let’s start with the basics. This was a 12 month project funded by AgriFutures Australia on behalf of all the other rural Research and Development Corporations. And the goal? To understand extension capacity—that’s the number of practitioners and the resources we have—and capability—the skills and knowledge to get the job done.

We took a big-picture approach. We reviewed 42 pieces of literature, surveyed nearly 400 extension practitioners, interviewed leading professionals, and even wrote several case studies. Oh, and let’s not forget… Bayesian modelling—shout out to Jeff and Ben Coutts from Coutts J&R for bringing his magic to that one!

So what did we find? Let’s start with capacity. The big headline is that there are about 3,000 extension practitioners in Australia. But there’s a huge variation. New South Wales leads the pack with about 700 practitioners, while the Northern Territory has only about 30. That’s kind of incredible when you think about it. It’s like a football team trying to cover the whole pitch… with only two players!

This highlights the uneven distribution of resources. But capacity is only part of the picture. Capability is equally important—that’s where we ask: Do extension practitioners have the right skills and knowledge? And are we training and supporting them enough? And the good news is that most practitioners are well-educated, with university degrees and years of on-the-job experience. Many are also connected through professional networks like the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network—a big shoutout to our APEN colleagues!

But—and there’s always a ‘but’—we’ve got some gaps. Four key ones, in fact. First up, the dual crisis of attraction and retention. It’s hard to recruit new talent, and just as hard to keep them. Extension doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves, so promoting these careers, improving job security, and offering clear career paths is essential.

Second, professional development. Practitioners, especially in the private sector, aren’t always getting the training or support they need to keep up with new technologies, extension theory, or behaviour change techniques.

Which leads into the third gap: fragmentation. With so many different programs and organisations, efforts can become disconnected. That leads to inefficiencies and duplication—no one wants to reinvent the wheel!

And finally, funding models. Short project cycles, inflexible budgets, and dwindling state-level support are all putting pressure on extension practitioners to deliver more with less. Ideally we should be seeing three or five year projects with extension incorporated from the very beginning. 

So, what’s the solution? Well, the project outlined some clear actions. For instance, promoting extension careers, investing in professional development, and ensuring extension is integrated into research projects from the get-go. A case study that really stood out was the Agricultural Extension Work Placement Program in Queensland.

This program placed early-career professionals into structured 12 to 15 month roles, giving them tailored training, mentoring, and project experience. Since it launched in 2017, over 30 practitioners have been trained, and the retention rates are impressive. It’s proof that with the right support, we can attract and retain great talent. The case study shows what’s possible when industry collaboration meets well-designed capability-building initiatives. So what’s the big takeaway?

The big takeaway is that Australia’s extension workforce is passionate and capable, but we need to address these capacity and capability gaps to ensure it can keep pace with the challenges ahead. Extension is about enabling change—but we need to support the enablers, too.

If you want to learn more, check out the full report on the AgriFutures website—it’s a great read, and there’s plenty more detail than we could cover here. And if you’ve got thoughts or experiences to share, leave us a comment below. We’d love to hear how you see the future of extension.

Thanks for reading the episode today. Until next time, keep enabling change!

Resources

Enablers of Change, Scarlatti, & Coutts J&R. (2024). Australian extension capacity and capability: A map and a gap analysis. Available online.