THE TERMS EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, AND PROMOTION IN AQUACULTURE EXTENSION PROGRAMS: WHAT DO THEY MEAN AND WHERE AND WHEN TO DRAW THE LINE?

Forrest Wynne
 
Kentucky State University
Graves County Extension Office
251 Housman Street
Mayfield, KY 40601
Forrest.Wynne@kysu.edu

Aquaculture programs housed in land grant universities are charged with the mission of educating students and conducting applied aquaculture research.  Extension is charged with the delivery of these research results to various user groups, agencies and to the public.  In aquaculture extension work, the terms education, advocacy and promotion may be used incorrectly or interchangeably.  When conducting programs, extension personnel should understand these terms and their related actions.    

According to the online Meriam Webster Learner Dictionary, education is simply defined as "the act or process of teaching someone especially in a school, college or university." Whereas, advocacy is defined as "the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal: the act or process of advocating something."  A positive example of advocacy would be, supporting the development, distribution and use of reputable, peer reviewed aquaculture information that would enhance aquaculture education.  A negative example of advocacy would be publicly supporting a cause that is based more on personal opinion than science.

Promotion is defined as "something (such as advertising) that is done to make people aware of something and increases its sales or popularity."  Public perception of the act of promotion may extend well beyond generating awareness or even popularity.  Promotion is often viewed as a vehicle to increase sales and profit.  It is appropriate for aquaculture extension personnel to support and deliver science based aquaculture information on development, production, processing and marketing practices.  Other promotional practices

.

would seem less appropriate or even self-serving.  These would include: promoting one aquaculture product over another, trying to convince growers to increase farm size or production, or actively recruiting new growers into entering the industry.