Fiscal unsustainability risks hindering widespread agricultural extension programs in developing countries.
Agricultural extension programs like Farmer Field Schools are being tried in Asia and Africa, but they may not be sustainable on a large scale due to high costs. In the Philippines, there isn't enough funding to reach many farmers. Shifting some costs to the community could help, but in Indonesia, farmers haven't taken on much of the training responsibility. This means that the community isn't funding the schools much either. So, if we want to expand these programs, we need to be careful and focus on making sure they can be financially sustainable.