Assessing the Current Status of Components and Requirements of the Pluralistic Agricultural Extension System in Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Madine Osmanpour 1
Rohollah Rezaei 1
Farzad Farzad Eskandari 2
1 Department of Extension, Communication and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract
While the limitations of Iran’s centralized agricultural extension system are well-documented, there is a critical lack of a prioritized, evidence-based framework to guide the transition toward a functional pluralistic model. This study was designed to critically assess the status of the key components and requirements for establishing a pluralistic agricultural extension system in Iran. Employing a quantitative, descriptive-survey design, this research targeted a statistical population of senior extension managers and experts nationwide (N=227). Based on Bartlett et al.’s (2001) table, a sample size of 155 was required. To mitigate non-response bias, 170 participants were initially recruited through simple random sampling via a random number generator. A total of 155 valid questionnaires were obtained, representing a 91.2% response rate. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire and were analyzed through one-sample t-tests and the Friedman test. Findings revealed a paradoxical picture. While three components—“content and subjects,” “organizational structure,” and “audiences”—were assessed above average, the system faces substantial deficiencies. Eight other components, including “approaches,” “policies and strategies,” and “financial resources,” along with nine of the ten fundamental requirements, such as “networking and coordination among actors” and “reduction of government intervention,” were rated below average level. The “approaches” component and its corresponding requirement, “attention to diverse extension approaches,” received lowest ranks. These findings reveal a profound implementation gap between the envisioned goals of a pluralistic extension system and its operational realities in Iran, where systemic weaknesses in policy, financing, and coordination jeopardize the transition. By providing the first systematic mapping of readiness and requirements for pluralistic extension in a highly centralized context, this study contributes both a theoretical understanding of transition barriers and a strategic diagnostic framework for policymakers to restructure agricultural governance toward a collaborative innovation ecosystem.
Keywords
Pluralistic
Agricultural Extension
Component
Requirements
Institutional Coordination
Agricultural Innovation Systems
Subjects
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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 July 2026