A confederate Agricultural Knowledge System |
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| Authors: | A Blum |
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| Institution: | Faculty of Agriculture , The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , P.O. Box 12, Rehovot, 76 100, Israel |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Previous, analytical-empirical case studies of national Agricultural Knowledge Systems (AKSs) have produced a list of factors which are typical for successful AKSs. The aim of the present paper is to investigate (1) in how far these factors exist in the Swiss AKS, (2) in what ways the unique, confederal system of Switzerland has had an influence on its AKS, and (3) whether additional, generalizable factors can be identified, which could add to the efficiency of the national AKSs. The federal system of Switzerland with its relatively small cantons which are responsible for law enforcement and agricultural extension (but not for research) imposes special conditions on its AKS and makes it difficult to manage them. Informal communication devices help to overcome this drawback. The investigation of the Swiss AKS corroborates the list of criteria for well functioning AKSs that were identified in earlier research, and added two new points: (1) the need for “relais” stations to overcome interfaces between research and extension, especially when these two subsystems function at different organisational levels, or when extension is split up into small units; (2) the value of networking among different national AKSs. |
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