Oromia Agricultural Research Institute (IQQO)
Agricultural Economics, Extension and Gender Research Directorate
General background
The agricultural economics, extension and gender research directorate is one of the seven research directorates of the institute and is responsible for ensuring the integration of the social and economic dimensions into agricultural technology generation and transfer process. The directorate generates agricultural information that can be used for research planning, policy decision, and for research and extension system improvement. In addition to this, it conducts on-farm technology evaluation, demonstration and popularization activities that enhance agricultural technology dissemination and adoption. The directorate also plays an important role in creating an effective linkage among research, extension and utilizer sub-systems.
The research works conducted by the directorate is organized into three research programs namely socio-economics, agricultural extension and gender research programs. At center level, these research programs are executed under two research teams; the agricultural economics and agricultural extension research teams. Currently the directorate has 67 researchers (27 MSc and 40 BSc holders) working in 13 research centers.
Vision
To see food-secured and prosperous farming/pastoral community in Oromia
Mission
To generate information that improves the internal and external efficiency of the research system and to enhance agricultural technology dissemination and adoption through promoting improved agricultural technologies.
Goal
To improve agricultural production and productivity through generating socio-economic information that improves the internal and external efficiency of the research system and also enhancing agricultural technology dissemination and adoption through promoting improved agricultural technologies.
Specific objectives
- Ensure the integration of social dimension in agricultural technology generation and transfer
- Generate socio-economics and agricultural extension related information used for research planning, policy decisions and for improving the efficiency of research and extension system
- Enhance agricultural technology dissemination and adoption through promoting improved agricultural technologies
- Facilitate linkage and information sharing among various stakeholders that have contribution to the development of the agricultural sector of the region
Core values and guiding principles
The following are core values and guiding principles to be followed in the course of conducting research
- Commitment to vision, mission, goals and objectives
- Agro-ecology based and demand driven research
- Empowerment of end-users
- Multidisciplinary approach
- Integrity and trust
- Accountability
- Transparency
- Efficiency and flexibility
- Working in partnership with stakeholders
- Value chain approach
- Effective knowledge and information management
Research focus areas
The agricultural economics research program conducts research in the areas of agricultural production systems characterization, value chain analysis of high value agricultural commodities, agricultural production economics, technology verification, adoption and impact study, agricultural marketing, agricultural policy analysis, agricultural institutions analysis and others.
The agricultural extension research program focuses on agricultural technology transfer (pre-extension demonstration and popularization) and agricultural extension research related to agricultural knowledge and information system, agricultural information communication, extension methods and approach, and other systems focused research. Gender research program on its part focuses on analysis of gender roles, access to and control over resources and decision making in agriculture and their impact on food security, livelihood and other social and economic spheres. It also works on gender capacity building and facilitation of gender mainstreaming process.
Taha Mume (MSc)
Director of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Gender Research
Phone: +251-911771864
e-mail: tehamume2005@yahoo.com
Finfinne, Ethiopia