Extensionists as mediators of agricultural skill ecosystems: A study from North India
研究印度北部农业推广人员如何作为中介者，连接农民与正式机构资源并帮助克服社会障碍，揭示其工作中被忽视的调解作用及影响因素。
One of the roles of agricultural extension is to help farmers upgrade their skills and/or develop new skills. Yet, skills are not developed through singular training interventions; their refinement requires practice and support from various actors and institutions. A ‘social ecosystems’ framework can help clarify the role of extension in developing agricultural skills in complex social and institutional settings. Through interviews with agricultural extension officers from State Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras in northern India's Himalayan region, this study examines how extensionists function as ‘mediators’ within social ecosystems. We distinguish between two types of mediation: institutional mediation —connecting farmers with formal institutions' supports and resources—and social mediation —helping farmers navigate social barriers that constrain skill development and utilisation. Our findings reveal that while extensionists routinely engage in institutional mediation, social mediation occurs inconsistently. The study documents substantive – but often institutionally invisible – extensionist mediation work, identifies factors that enable or constrain effective mediation, and explores how other actors—including government departments, NGOs, and input vendors—complement extensionist mediation. We conclude with recommendations for better supporting extensionist mediation and consider implications for the development of the social ecosystems model as a tool for analysing extension systems.