Global Agribusiness Education

1
Global Agribusiness Education

• International Food and Agribusiness Management
  Association
• Michael Boland, co-chair
• National Food and Agribusiness Management
  Education Commission
• June 12, 2004
• Montreux Switzerland

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Motivation

• Fifteen years since the National Agribusiness
  Education Commission
• USDA asked us to study impact of agribusiness
  management programs in agricultural economics
  programs
• We added food business
• Collected lots of data
• PhD dissertations since 1950
• MS theses since 1980
• Agribusiness management degree programs
• Graduate and undergraduate programs and courses

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Objective

• Create a National Food and Agribusiness
  Management Education Commission that includes an
  Industry Steering Committee
• Describe the current state of food and
  agribusiness management education at colleges and
  universities in the U.S.
• Work with industry and academic professionals to
  determine how food and agribusiness management
  curricula can be revised/enhanced to meet the
  expectations of industry
• Conduct a national conference for academic and
  industry participants that will summarize the
  findings and recommendations of the Commission
• Prepare a summary publication that will summarize
  the findings and recommendations of the
  Commission.

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Industry Advisory Committee
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Commission (Academic) Members
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Commission (Industry) Members
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Todays Presentation

• Focus on information from a forthcoming invited
  paper to Review of Agricultural Economics
• Commission will issue its report and
  recommendations at a preconference to American
  Agricultural Economics Association annual meeting
  in Denver, July 31, 2004

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Overview

• October 2004 Workshop
• Six working groups
• Curriculum
• Skills
• Industry involvement
• Recruitment
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Final Report due this spring
• AAEA Preconference

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Working Papers (K-State)

• Working Paper 1 Undergraduate Curriculum in
  Agribusiness Management Degrees
• Working Paper 2 Doctoral Research in
  Agribusiness and Food Business Management, 1951
  to 2003 Working Paper 3 Graduate Courses in
  Agribusiness Management
• Working Paper 4 Introductory and Advanced
  Agribusiness and Food Business Management Courses
  in Undergraduate Agribusiness Degrees
• Working Paper 5 Extension Programs in
  Agribusiness and Food Business Management
• Working Paper 6 A Summary of Masters Degree
  Research in Agribusiness and Food Business
  Management, 1980 to 2003
• Working Paper 7 International Dimensions of
  Agribusiness and Food Business Management Programs

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(No Transcript)
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Overview of Literature

• Previous Commissions and Committees
• National Study on Agribusiness Education
  (1961-1962)
• 1968 AAEA proceedings
• 1976 AAEA proceedings
• 1988 National Agribusiness Education Commission
• 2003 National Food and Agribusiness Management
  Education Commission
• USDA and Farm Foundation were heavily involved.

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Common Themes 1960-2004

• Ensuring that business management is included in
  agribusiness curricula
• Include a basic core of agricultural sciences
• Increase level of interpersonal skills
• Broaden student understanding beyond the farm gate

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Common Themes 1960-2004

• Ensuring that business management is included in
  agribusiness curricula
• Some progress has been made
• Include a basic core of agricultural sciences
• Much progress has been made
• Increase level of interpersonal skills
• Some progress has been made
• Broaden student understanding beyond the farm
  gate
• Some progress has been made

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Current State of Agribusiness Curricula in the US

• Curriculum for 140 agribusiness and agricultural
  economics programs
• Agribusiness management is now tied with policy
  as the third most commonly taught undergraduate
  course (after agricultural marketing and
  agricultural finance).
• A required course in farm management has
  decreased from 2/3 of agribusiness degrees in
  1985 to only 1/3 of such degrees in 2003.
• Many agribusiness degrees are three times as
  likely to require business finance relative to
  agricultural economics degrees.
• A core curriculum requirement in agricultural
  sciences exists
• No strategy courses were identified as being
  taught in agribusiness management degrees in
  1985. In 2003, 17 such courses were being
  taught. Strategy is a course that integrates
  many management concepts.
• A course in business marketing was almost twice
  as likely to be required in an agribusiness
  degree relative to an agricultural economics
  degree.
• Relatively few programs have requirements in
  human resource management, organizational
  behavior, or marketing management
• A required course that explores the international
  dimensions of finance, management, marketing,
  policy, trade, or similar topics remains a severe
  limitation.

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Additional Comments

• Vast majority of programs remain rooted in
  agricultural economics
• Lack of depth in management
• Policy courses are more historical in nature
• Collection of courses rather than an integrated
  program.

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Overview of Executive Interviews

• 45 minutes
• Taped for comments, not attribution
• Extensive survey of their thoughts on
• Food and agribusiness management programs
• Undergraduate and graduate degrees
• Business sense was more important
• Production ag can be taught
• Little need for customized MBA programs

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Industry Recommendations
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Major Findings from Interviews

• Industry wants to be involved
• Lack of understanding about big picture in new
  hires
• Prepare students for future careers not past
  careers
• Production ag background is not important
• International experiences are nice to have but
  not essential for entry level employees

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Major Findings about Current State of
Agribusiness Management Education

• Communications and critical thinking skills
  vastly outweigh industry specific knowledge
• Missing from most programs
• Lack of differentiation between agribusiness
  degrees and other degrees
• Source of concern
• Diversity of thought and cultural sensitivity is
  needed
• Difficult to teach

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Opportunities

• Agribusiness programs must consider a niche
  strategy
• Must be more than just teaching about what the
  industry is
• Agribusiness programs must be more than just a
  collection of courses
• Integrated set of experiences (internships, etc.)
  and curricula
• Agricultural economics can be a point of
  difference
• Industry engagement is crucial
• Successful programs will pursue partners
• Depends upon business school enrollment
• Professional development is needed for faculty
• Critical issue for leaders
• A role for agribusiness minors

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Thoughts with Regard to Global Agribusiness
Education

• Need to integrate global concepts into
  agribusiness courses
• Trade policy is becoming increasingly more
  important
• Traditional ag policy courses are mostly a
  historical perspective of US ag policies
• Little progress been made over 40 years with
  regard to this integration
• Needs to be more than adding the word
  international in front of a course offering

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Opportunities

• Technology offers ability for instructors to
  bring international visitors into the classroom
• Use of case studies in conjunction with these
  visitors may be a way to integrate
• Good news is that many faculty have international
  experiences that can be utilized in the classroom
  if used in the right way.
• Difficult to add more courses must integrate and
  use existing resources

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More Thoughts

• The 1988 National Agribusiness Education
  Commission accomplished a great deal
• Notion of a need for a capstone course in
  agribusiness was one output
• The 2003 National Food and Agribusiness
  Management Education Commission
• Notion of the need to integrate global concepts
  in agribusiness programs?

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Final Thoughts

• Technology, if used in right way, can be a great
  tool to integrate global concepts into
  agribusiness courses.
• Students need more diversity
• We need more case studies of issues with regard
  to global food issues
• Trade and government policies are existing
  courses that can be modified to help provide this
  information.