How best to help smallholder farmers access information and advice they need to increase their productivity is an unsolved puzzle. Work led by the World Agroforestry Centre and the International Livestock Research Institute with support from the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) and other partners in East Africa showed that volunteer farmer trainers (VFTs) can be successful agents of change. VFTs are highly effective, training on average 20 farmers per month. They have deep knowledge of local conditions, culture, and practices, since they live in the community and speak the same language as their clients. They instill confidence in their fellow farmers. The VFT approach is a form of farmer-to-farmer extension. Volunteer farmers are recruited, trained, and in turn, train other farmers on improved agricultural practices.