Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World (2009) / Chapter Skim
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For example, it has always been acknowledged that the growing world population exerts a looming pressure on the global food supply, but few anticipated how population growth would converge with rising incomes in the developing world to create an unprecedented demand for more food, especially animal protein. It is now far from clear if an expansion of animal and grain production, and its associated impact on the environment and land use, both in the United States and in other agricultural countries, are even capable of satisfying the need for nutritious food in the long term.
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It would take pages to list all the niches that have emerged in the agricultural enterprise beyond the farmer -- this workforce includes scientists, seed suppliers, crop insurers and bankers, food chemists, ethanol producers, packaging engineers, food safety and quality control experts, agro-ecologists, veterinarians, meat inspectors, risk assessors, contract negotiators, shippers, grocery and retail store suppliers, institutional food buyers, and on and on. This collection of individuals, businesses, and institutions must work together across disciplines, language gaps, physical distances, and national differences to achieve their goals.
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agricultural system has benefited from years of investment in technological improvements to agriculture, entrepreneurial and well-developed markets for agricultural inputs and products, public support of agricultural businesses, and a natural environment that is conducive to growing plants and animals. But because agricultural production is embedded in social and natural systems, it is affected by changing circumstances in those systems, such as increasing international competition in agricultural products, changing consumer demands and expectations of agriculture and food, declining levels of public research support, evolving immigration and labor policy, growing demands to regulate the environmental externalities of agriculture, and emerging constraints of the natural resource base.
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That number is diminishing, while the student population has grown increasingly diverse in terms of age, background, and culture. The diverse and broader student body is generally unaware of the multi-dimensional and challenging nature of the agricultural disciplines and the exciting career opportunities open to them, despite evidence that many students have an interest in a variety of scientific, business, economic, environmental, and social issues related to food and agriculture.
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Conversations should involve a broad array of stakeholders with an interest in undergraduate agriculture education, including fac ulty in and outside agriculture colleges, current and former students, employers, disciplinary societies, commodity groups, local organiza tions focused on food and agriculture, and representatives of the public. Institutions should develop and implement a strategic plan within the next two years and to revisit that plan every three to five years thereafter.
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Agriculture faculty should work with col leagues to incorporate agricultural examples and topics into courses throughout the institution. Among the ways that more students can be exposed to agricultural topics are the incorporation of agriculture examples in courses outside agriculture and the offering of team-taught and interdepartmental introductory courses that serve students in a variety of majors.
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In general, university faculty do not receive much training in effective teaching, nor are they exposed to research in student learning; faculty in agriculture are no exception. Therefore, it will be necessary for a variety of stakeholders to devote their attention to ensuring that current and future faculty members learn about the research on how people learn and have access to resources to implement course and curricular changes.
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Although a full vetting of tenure and promotion criteria and institutional priorities is well beyond the scope of this report, improving undergraduate education in agriculture depends on raising the profile of teaching. RECOMMENDATION 6 Academic institutions offering teaching and learning opportunities in food and agriculture should enhance connections with each other to support and develop new opportunities and student pathways.
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In addition to formal partner ships and academic programs, colleges and universities should explore partnerships with youth-focused programs, such as 4-H, National FFA, and scouting programs. The public perception of agriculture is a challenge beyond the scope of this report, but it is a factor that influences the perspective of future undergraduate students.
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From page 10... ...
For example, students benefit from such activities as internships and cooperative education programs to gain real-world work experiences, and industry gains an opportunity to recruit and attract talented young people and hire workers who already have experience working in the company. Closer connections between academe and industry may result in other opportunities, such as participation of the colleges in solving industrial challenges; such questions may serve as case studies in undergraduate classes and provide opportunities for undergraduate research.
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From page 11... ...
might incorporate more specific elements into the evaluation criteria for the review of its programs as appropriate including -- but not limited to -- the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program. Accreditation bodies within the United States could use these elements to develop a specific set of benchmarks that institutions might be asked to meet to receive accreditation.
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From page 12... ...
In meeting its charge, the authoring committee engaged many people in academe, industry, professional societies, and interest groups, including those in the food and agriculture community and those outside the traditional group of stakeholders. Central to the committee's data-gathering was a Leadership Summit that brought together over 300 leaders, from undergraduate students to university presidents and from entry-level employees to CEOs of multinational food and agriculture companies.
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