Digital and virtual spaces as sites of extension and advisory services research: social media, gaming, and digitally integrated and augmented advice

Abstract

The field of research on agricultural and rural extension and education, also referred to as advisory services and intermediaries, has always engaged with different aspects of the spaces in which agricultural producers (farmers, growers, ranchers) are situated and operate. In this editorial, I will reflect on the elements and environments which jointly constitute and shape the farm (Darnhofer 2020) and their connection with extension and advisory services in the digital age, opening up new digital and virtual spaces. Extension and advisory services receive ample consideration in current debates on digitalization and digital transformation of the agrifood sector, and are an important focus of attention for agriculture and food systems research, practice and policy (Ehlers, Huber, and Finger 2021;Ingram and Maye 2020;Klerkx 2020). In what follows, I will elaborate on some digital and virtual spaces as sites of extension and advisory services research, to progress the field of study for which The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension serves as a publication outlet.Farms and their environments can be seen as networks of human and non-human actors and entities, also referred to as assemblages (

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“…Our findings have reaffirmed the positive role of digital agriculture platforms as illustrated in the literature (Cole & Fernando, 2012; Deichmann et al., 2016; Rose et al., 2016). Smart farming apps are emerging as a significant configuration for a digitally integrated and augmented advisory (Klerkx, 2021), with apps not only providing direct advice to farmers but also facilitating their social networking platforms for knowledge exchange, such as Krishify in India. These digital artefacts are rapidly reconceptualising agriculture knowledge innovation systems and their enablers and disablers (Fielke et al., 2019).…”

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