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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Research Papers in Economics Problems and Potentials of Agricultural Economics Extension Everett E. Peterson This session on Problems and Potentials of tion relating to land grant universities Agricultural Economics Extension shows con- provides a useful jogging of our memories. tinuing concern over the relevance of agricul- The important concept in the sequential de- tural economics extension and research in the velopment is that the Cooperative Extension current socio-economic setting. This concern Service was established to extend results of has existed since the beginning of agricultural research to those who could apply them, i.e., economics as a discipline, but has intensified research is supposed to solve problems which since 1970. Inclusion of this topic on the pro- concern people. Some critics, including this gram of this W.A.E.A. meeting is also an commentator, feel that many researchers example of overdue efforts to increase the have forgotten this or choose to ignore it be- interest and involvement of extension cause of present criteria for professional ad- economists in professional associations and to vancement. In my opinion, any broadening bridge the widening gap between agricul- of the scope of research and extension pro- tural economics research and extension. grams beyond producing and marketing food Our soul-searching at this time is stimu- has been more in response to external politi- lated by the problems resulting from great cal pressures than to farsighted leadership political, economic and social changes in among agricultural college administrators. America and worldwide since 1970. People Another powerful influence has been that the are questioning basic American values and east wind periodically wafts the sweet smell developing new value systems. The impact of federal dollars to the noses of these offi- on land grant universities is well summarized cials. by paraphrasing Dr. Wallace's three central Pressures for change come from urban questions: 1) Is the system, which worked taxpayers, low-income and minority groups, well before 1970, adequate to serve the na- consumers, environmentalists - groups out- tion's people in the last quarter of this cen- side the traditional "agricultural establish- tury and beyond? 2) Should Colleges or Insti- ment." Our traditional clientele seek to tutes of Agriculture avoid most of the above maintain their present favored position as to problems by limiting research and extension access to research and extension programs; programs (including agricultural economics) they oppose change. The response of many to producing and marketing food? 3) If the agricultural colleges has been defensive, a answer to question 2 is "No" and the decision past achievements; but examples by administrators with courage and leader- recitation of of positive responses can be found: for exam- ship qualities is for continued and deeper in- ple, "Who Will Control U.S. Agriculture?", volvement in human and natural resource and "Your Food." The concerns of non- development issues, what changes are neces- can no sary within the universities to traditional clientele are legitimate and respond to longer be ignored. Our choices are to meet newer, broader concerns of society? their needs through established procedures, Background to be told to do so by legislative mandate, or Historical review of basic federal legisla- be by-passed. Within the university system, most ag- Everett E. Peterson is Extension Economist, University ricultural economics departments face com- of Nebraska. petitive disadvantages in obtaining funds be- 253 Economics of Agricultural Journal 1978 Western December cause they lack politically powerful off- tion for scarce resources; and availability of campus constituencies. Farm management competent staff. and marketing are more likely to be recog- I wish to underscore Wallace's comments nized and adequately supported than public on the widening gap between agricultural re- affairs and community resource development search and extension needs. Researchers which are still "on probation" and "searching have accurately sized up the pay-off from for identity" in the current socio-economic publishing articles in professional journals, environment. Also the latter two subject mat- even though this means limiting the market ter areas deal with politically sensitive issues. for research results to colleagues in other Research and extension programs on such is- universities. As stated by one writer on the sues may lead to criticism of the university relevance of agricultural economics, "In the which makes many administrators uncom- current vernacular, their intellectual 'high' satisfaction through fortable. But university administrators are seems to attain a level of not paid higher salaries to lead comfortable quantitative analyses of masses of data, which lives but rather to make hard decisions and provide the opportunity for constructing take some risks. economic models, utilizing computers, and thus keeping busy without bothering any- Problems one." [Scroggs] I would argue that extension economists save most agricultural economics listing of problem areas shows that departments from virtual isolation from the A brief real world. the need for agricultural economics extension Within some departments, the attitude programs is tremendous, almost overwhelm- still prevails that extension is the "employer ing. Demand is derived from dissatisfaction of last resort" for those who can't make the with firm or institutional performance, from grade in teaching and research. Extension perceived need for changes to cope with eco- economists have not yet overcome the stigma nomic, social and political problems, and that they are less well trained than research from desire for better performance. Demand economists. This has some historical basis, a is made effective by consumers' willingness holdover from the days when county agents to spend scarce time and money to become were "retreaded" to become specialists. A more educated and so gain personal satisfac- major institutional problem for many exten- tion, improved economic status and better sion economists is the inadequacy and inap- institutional performance, and by their abil- propriateness of the performance evaluation ity to exert economic and political pressure process. Department heads try to apply the on suppliers of agricultural economics educa- same criteria as for research and teaching tion. staff. Extension directors tend to look at This product (agricultural economics edu- number of meetings and attendance, miles cation) will not sell unless it has an interested travelled, personal contacts, feed-back from "student body." But these students are county agents and agricultural leaders, and problem-oriented volunteers who can't be program results measured in dollar terms. coerced into attending "school." Researchers Participation by extension economists in na- are less concerned about this than extension tional and regional extension projects and on economists because professional journals are university committees are regarded as extra- often regarded as the primary market for re- curricular activities which "cause state pro- search results. grams to suffer." The quantity of economic education supplied is a function of: the existing eco- nomic, social and political climate; adminis- Possible Solutions judgment as to risks of trators' evaluation and involvement and non-involvement; competi- Like with God, mother and country, it's 254 Peterson Extension Economics hard to disagree with the broad generaliza- velop educational materials and pro- tions in this section, but difficult to apply grams on problems common to more them. This is due in part to the wide variation than one state through administrative among states as to problems and resources. sanction and financial support of such Agricultural economics has a broad base of projects; support in a few states, very little in most. 4. Using the team approach to multidiscip- Examples of multidisciplinary approaches to linary problems through (a) mutual major issues are also few and far between. agreement and cooperation, (b) admin- The potentials and boundaries of extension istrative leadership and direction, (c) al- programs appear to be quite well defined in location of funds for honoria and sum- production economics, marketing and ag- mer- appointments, and (d) extending ribusiness, and natural resource use and con- the agricultural college model to the trol. The nature and scope of our respon- total university. Appropriate proce- sibilities for off-campus educational activities dures for recognition of contributions of in public affairs and community resource de- team members to the joint effort must velopment are less clear. This is demon- be established to minimize such feel- strated by the wide range of issues discussed ings as "I did all the work but he got all over the past twenty years at the National the credit." Public Policy Education Conference. Obvi- ously public affairs and CRD specialists can't Concluding Statement be all things to all people; they must decide veteran of twenty-five on program priorities. Strong administrative As a battle-scarred support is needed for this purpose and for years as an extension specialist in public af- access to needed expertise in other colleges. fairs education, my advice to younger exten- Some additional suggestions for improving sion economists is to: 1) Keep trying to com- the effectiveness of agricultural economics municate research needs to researchers de- extension programs are: spite limited success in the past, to work with 1. Strengthening staff training programs them so that research results can be pres- through (a) more emphasis on extension ented to managers and policy makers in an career opportunities at the under- understandable and usable manner; 2) Listen graduate level; (b) establishing exten- to colleagues and clientele, including non- sion graduate assistantships and intern- traditional customers, to identify their con- ships in universities, industry and gov- cerns; and 3) Anticipate problems and de- ernment with the same status as re- termine how our expertise can help solve search and teaching assistantships; these problems. 2. Requiring participation by specialists in References appropriate regional and national con- Scroggs, Claud L., "The Relevance of University Re- ferences, workshops and seminars for search and Extension Activities in Agricultural Eco- in-service training and continuing edu- nomics to Agribusiness Firms," Am. Journal of Ag. cation; Econ., 57(1975): 883-888. 3. Encouraging specialists to serve on re- See Increasing Understanding of Public Problems and gional and national committees to de- Policies, 1958-77, Farm Foundation, Chicago, Illinois. 255 December 1978 Journal of Agricultural Economics Western 256
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