Community-based self-help groups in agriculture

Traditionally, government extension agencies have played a critical role in ensuring that farmers had the knowledge, skills, and competencies to remain competitive and sustainable. However, with the decline in public sector extension activities across much of the developed and developing worlds a greater input is required from the private sector and farmers themselves. This chapter provides background detail on the developments that led to the emergence and evolution of grower groups as crucial players in the agricultural paradigm and describes the critical role played by these groups in sustainable growth and development. It details the development of self-help groups in India.