Extension approaches for promoting integrated crop-livestock farming systems among smallholder households

Abstract

What happens when extension services try to bridge crop and livestock production in smallholder settings? This research examined how different extension approaches influenced adoption of integrated crop livestock farming (ICLF) among 384 smallholder households in southern France. A mixed methods design combined structured surveys with semi structured interviews between March 2021 and November 2022. Five approaches were compared: on farm demonstrations, farmer field schools, individual visits, group meetings, and ICT based advisory. Farmer field schools produced the highest adoption rates at 52.8%, followed by on farm demonstrations at 47.3%. Knowledge scores peaked among field school participants (73.1%) compared to ICT based users (49.8%). Household factors including land size, livestock ownership, and off farm income shaped adoption patterns across all approaches.