Open Access

Modern agriculture is a knowledge and information-intensive industry. Nowhere is this more evident than in North America . Science-based knowledge and innovation has driven agricultural progress across the continent—from the wheat breakthroughs of the Green Revolution in Mexico to the mechanical and biological intensification of farming across the fields of northwestern Mexico, the United States, and Canada. These three countries have undergone enormous investments in agricultural research accompanied by substantial growth in agricultural extension. These efforts in turn provide research-generated knowledge and information to increase productivity and profitability across farming communities. In order to build upon scientific advances and feed a growing population, the need to coordinate the work and knowledge of the extension community globally was identified. In response to this need, the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) was established over a decade ago to develop a network of agricultural professionals specializing in the “last mile delivery” to farmers and farming families worldwide. Since its establishment, GFRAS has built a global network of agricultural extension practitioners that has enjoyed enthusiastic participation from its regional networks and advisory service stakeholders in their respective countries. Collectively, the GFRAS’s 17 regional networks cover virtually every country in the world.

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