The effects of changing regional Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System on Italian farmers’ strategies

The aim of this paper is to identify and assess the role played by innovative extension services in affecting farmers’ strategy. More specifically we implement a multivariate probit model to evaluate the effects of different types of extension services introduced by a reform in the domain of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in Italy. The results show that both generalist and specialized services could play a major role in farmers’ value creation strategies. They also confirm that different strategies for creating value are jointly implemented. Finally, they show that a further improvement in the quality of public provision of extension services within regional AKIS and a greater (systemic) interaction between farmers, rural actors and local networks should be supported.

► Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) matters for farmers strategies. ► Public extension services have a relatively limited impact on farmers strategies. ► Membership in associations and rural networks matters for farm diversification. ► The process of policy-making related to the AKIS domain requires more attention.