Examining the New Roles of Intermediaries in Agricultural Extension Education, such as Facilitation and Brokerage

Abstract

This work's goal is to examine the function of intermediaries in agricultural and rural development by
conducting a literature review. First, a broad overview of the functions of intermediaries is given, with an
emphasis on the two primary categories of intermediates—brokers and facilitators—as they are portrayed in the
literature. According to the shift from reductionist to systemic science and from the expert syndrome to
participatory development, the rise of facilitators and brokers in agricultural literature is then examined. Such
shifts allow for the emergence of a facilitation model and provide a significant challenge to the prevalent
Transfer of Technology extension paradigm; this is further supported by the discourse and practice of
sustainability. Consequently, the concept of "intermediation" needs to change from exploitation to exploration,
that is, from disseminating information to facilitating co-learning or from old to new KIBS. Such an argument is
illustrated with several instances from agriculture-related literature (and practice). According to this research,
intermediates as co-learning facilitators represent relatively novel professions needing specialized and, for the
most part, untested skills, at least from the perspective of agriculture-related theory and practice. Given that a
number of problems still threaten the effectiveness of intermediaries (brokers and facilitators), it is argued that
better definitions, operational definitions, and evaluations of facilitation and brokerage are urgently needed in
order to improve practice interpretation and guidance.