Assessment of Agri-environmental Extension Services in Canada for Agriculture and Agrifood Canada

Agri-environmental extension services are an important part of Canada’s agriculture system, but the extension landscape is changing with a variety of approaches across Canada. This study, commissioned by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and prepared by Groupe AGÉCO, provides an overview and an assessment of Canada’s agri-environmental extension services. The study’s objectives were to present an overview of key agri-environmental extension service providers for five regions: B.C, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada; identify the strengths and gaps in the agri-environmental extension offering in each region under study; and propose key recommendations at the national level for improving the Canadian agri-environmental extension services ecosystem. The methodology was built on a desktop and literature review, interviews with representatives of extension delivery organizations (41 informants from 37 organizations across Canada) and a qualitative assessment of each region under study. Five factors were identified as essential for effective agri-environmental extension: long-term strategy and funding, professional training, availability, independence, and links with academia and research organizations. For each region under study, the project assessed agri-environmental extension based on each of these five dimensions. Key findings are presented below: Quebec stands out for the provision of agri-environmental extension in terms of funding, availability, professional training, and independence. Ontario and Saskatchewan distinguish themselves with respect to the strong connections between their provincial governments, academia and research organizations In B.C., more can be done to support producers’ extension needs, particularly in terms of funding and available expertise and capacity. The core recommendation from this review is to secure long-term funding for agri-environmental extension.