Swiss extension workers are not unanimous in the way they feel the situation of the area they work in -which are in fact very heterogeneous. All are convinced of the difficulty of their task and it is recognised that extension methods must be improved. However : advisors should retain great freedom, technical and economic advice should not be separated, extension work should go beyond the field of agriculture proper, atypical formulae should not be refused. A law of 1974 on investments in mountain zones organized and financed development programmes of mountains areas. Extension personnel are not adequately inserted in these activities.