A SOUTH AFRICAN CASE STUDY OF THE PART AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND TRAINING PLAY IN ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY

Abstract

This study looked at how training and agricultural extension contribute to sustainable food security. 
Enhancing a nation's human output is a prerequisite for social and economic advancement. The intended 
function of agricultural extension and training for sustained food security among South African smallholder 
farmers is reviewed in this paper. The results showed that by providing farmers with information to help them 
make educated decisions, agricultural extension can support sustained food security. However, ongoing 
agricultural extension human resource development via investment in education is a precondition for the 
extension staff to be better prepared for information dissemination and to achieve the aim of sustainable food 
security. Additionally, in order to support sustainable food security and raise the relevance of knowledge and 
technologies transmitted down to farmers, higher education institutions must play a developmental role by 
forming connections between research, extension, and rural communities. Extension educators must thus make 
sure that training is sensitive to farmers' present requirements. Extension education methods that are adaptable 
to changes in the physical, social, economic, and environmental spheres are needed. As a result, the study's 
conclusions provide recommendations for changes to extension education programs. This is crucial for 
developing well-informed policies that will lead to better public extension services.