Feb 24, 2010. Rural worlds are changing rapidly. Information technology has shortened the distances from remote villages to urban centers but has also sharpened the contrasts in ways of life.
This report emphasizes three ways that the United States can contribute to raising agricultural productivity in poor countries—investing in agricultural productivity from a longer-term, resource-based, farmer-centered perspective; revamping the way that technology is developed and diffused to better diagnose and solve the practical problems of rural people; and complementing investments in the “hard” infrastructure of markets (roads, rural electrification) with investments in “soft” infrastructure, including rules, regulations, policies, financial and market information systems that kick-start private-sector investments.
The authors focus on sub-Saharan Africa, drawing on some experiences from Asia, to recommend such positive U.S. contributions as making greater use of natural resource management approaches, expanding innovative financial and market information services, and strengthening public
Rigid models in which scientists develop technologies and state extension services deliver them to farmers should be replaced with those that foster partnerships among the multiple actors who can best finance and provide the services (including farmer associations, community-based organizations, private companies, nongovernmental organizations or NGOs, national and international research institutions). (page 2)
Agricultural Productivity in Changing Rural Worlds quotes in 2 extracts the FARA Inventory of Innovative Farmer Advisory Services (page 24 and page 26) 
