Corporate Social Responsibility in Agriculture: A Review of Farmer Empowerment and Extension Services

Résumé fourni par la source

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged as an important mechanism for promoting sustainable agricultural development and farmer empowerment, particularly in regions where public agricultural extension systems face institutional and resource constraints. This review examines how CSR-driven initiatives contribute to farmer empowerment through capacity building, skill development, knowledge dissemination, and inclusive value-chain participation. Despite increasing corporate investments in agriculture, the translation of CSR efforts into sustained farmer empowerment remains uneven. The paper conceptualizes agricultural extension services as a critical intermediary linking corporate interventions with farmers by facilitating technical training, resource dissemination, and social capital formation. Evidence from existing literature suggests that CSR initiatives enhance adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, strengthen human and social capital, and improve farmers’ access to markets, technologies, and institutional support. Capacity-building approaches such as farmer training programs, digital extension platforms, demonstrations, and collective action mechanisms significantly improve farmers’ adaptive capacity and resilience to climate and market risks. The review further highlights the alignment of CSR interventions with global development frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), contributing to environmental sustainability and rural livelihood enhancement. However, challenges such as compliance-oriented implementation, limited stakeholder participation, and weak monitoring systems may constrain long-term impacts. The study emphasizes that participatory extension frameworks integrating farmer agency and multi-stakeholder collaboration are essential for transforming CSR from philanthropic engagement into a sustainable empowerment strategy, thereby fostering resilient and self-reliant farming communities.

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