We cost-effectively increase smallholder farmers’ access to and uptake of critical agricultural and nutrition information by partnering with existing extension providers to produce short videos featuring local farmers demonstrating improved practices. Peer community members and extension agents screen the videos among farmer groups and women-led self-help groups using battery-operated mobile projectors, facilitate interactive discussions and gather feedback, and subsequently visit viewers’ fields and homes to observe uptake of promoted practices. More than a message delivery vehicle, our approach has organized timely exchange of locally relevant knowledge, and strengthened the social structures that meet to discuss them. We have facilitated production of more than 6,000 localized videos in 50 languages and dialects, which have been screened by 17,000 frontline workers to reach more than 2 million rural households (77% women) across 10 countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily India and Ethiopia. More than 50% of viewers have adopted at least one practice (3 to 4 on average), representing 3.5 million total adoptions. A controlled evaluation in India found that our video approach resulted in a seven-fold increase in uptake of improved practices, making it 10 times more cost-effective than conventional extension methods. The 43 million views received on our YouTube channel demonstrate the demand for this information. Integration of data and farmer feedback has given farmers a voice, increased their production and incomes, and helped national extension systems better respond to community needs. By prioritizing promotion of agricultural practices that provide the highest return on investment, we have increased farmers’ yields by 22% and incomes by 16%.

Our video-enabled approach is an adaptable, scalable, cost-effective solution to reach large numbers of rural community members. Partnering with existing extension providers allows us to tap into trusted networks operating in remote rural communities, enabling rapid scale-up. Our focus on capacity building for long-term sustainability, and our role as facilitators rather than implementers are key differentiators. We involve national and regional-level directors in decision-making and work closely with staff at national, regional, district and village levels to foster ownership and understanding of roles. We have facilitated system-level changes to sustain the approach, including incorporating responsibility for video production and facilitation, and data collection and entry into job descriptions and performance reviews; improving partners’ data analytics systems to track performance and inform decision making; and developing national policies and allocating budgets to manage activities. Based on past success, some partners have applied our approach to other topics, including family planning, off-farm income generation, household budgeting and farmer group capacity building, showing its transferability.