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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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