The University’s Role in Building Sustainable Agriculture and Resilient Communities

Historically, while the U.S. extension model is recognized globally, countries building extension systems to serve and support farmers have predominantly done so using centralized rather than university-based models. However, Romania is beginning to pivot from a centralized approach to an agricultural university-based system across rural communities. To address this, the Romanian-American Foundation (RAF) established the Extension Education Development Program in 2023. Through the collaboration of Romanian agricultural universities, the program is beginning its third year with a growing network of Romanian professors and university administrators engaged in envisioning a new model for extension, based in universities, for Romania. This paper discusses the key areas of consideration regarding the program’s success. Specifically, while momentum gains, program leaders recognize that extension cannot establish viability (in the case of Romania) or remain viable (in the case of the U.S.) unless systems are able to remain nimble amid evolving challenges, such as building and maintaining trust among diverse and dynamically changing communities and communication platforms, and growing sustainable food and fiber systems in complex markets.