International Perspective on Agricultural Education and Training

1. International Perspective on Agricultural Education and Training

2. A presentation in 3 parts The Role of AET The New Challenges for AET Future Directions for AET

3. AET System HAET Schools NFE organisations Colleges

4. 1. The Role of AET

5. In the past, the traditional role of AET has been to develop human resources needed for the agriculture sector - in particular for production agriculture Tertiary and Higher AET has traditionally provided trained manpower for agricultural support services, especially research, education and extension.

6. Changes which have Impacted on AET cut backs in govt/public service employment privatised advisory/support services. The private sector has replaced or is replacing the public sector as the leader in making direct contact with farmers wider access to knowledge and information (IT) by the traditional clients of AET climate changes (global warming) genetic engineering (use of bio-technology) environmental concerns . Commercial agriculture is seen as a polluter of natural resources sustainability (in LDCs) -increasing food insecurity for many -widening gap between rich and poor (in developed countries) -number of family farms has decreased (fewer employed) -size of farms has grown (mechanisation) -Overproduction (quotas) -increase in off-farm business enterprise -growing public concerns about the effects of food production on the environment and the move towards locally grown products (food miles) -niche (and organic) products -on-farm processing and diversification (tourism, game farms, fisheries, horticulture)

7. (additionally in LDCs) increasing food insecurity for many widening gap between rich and poor

8. (in developed countries) number of family farms has decreased (fewer employed) size of farms has grown (mechanisation) overproduction (quotas) increase in off-farm business enterprise growing public concerns about the effects of food production on the environment and the move towards locally grown products (food miles) niche (and organic) products on-farm processing and diversification (tourism, game farms, fisheries, horticulture)

9. The effect of these changes on AET decrease in number of students entering agriculture courses too many unemployed and unemployable graduates (wrong skills not transferable, skills needed for self employment).

10. Response of AET to widen the client base to include new subjects in the curriculum (management, IT, environment, sustainable agriculture) to shift from pure production degrees to a greater emphasis on management, conservation, and agribusiness to offer more flexible learning modes

11. Criticisms of AET lack of clear policy framework for AET too narowly focused on physical and biological processes and largely ignore social change processes seperated from the larger education system and lack of mechanisms to coordinate different agencies (and ministries) concerned lacking in relevance and increasingly divorced from the needs of the labour market and stakeholders. institutions isolated from extension and research and from rural communities

12. More importantly,has been the failure of the traditional AET model to significantly impact on poverty reduction and improve livelihoods for the majority in rural areas.

13. “I have often said that the most profound challenges to South Africa’s development and democracy can be found in rural areas. These areas, systematically and intentionally deprived of the most basic resources under apartheid, continue to lag behind the rest of the country in the post-apartheid era” Nelson Mandela

14. 2. The New Challenge for AET: from Agriculture to Rural Development

15. The agriculture-only model of rural development has proved inadequate in addressing poverty reduction, rural development and natural resources management

16. Some facts and figures 800 million or more people who are food insecure 180 million undernourished children 880 million illiterate youth and adults 130 million out of school children (3 times higher in rural areas than urban centres)

17. Donor Priorities Donor priorities have shifted from technical and higher education to basic education, and from isolated projects to coordination and sector wide approaches The focus is now on 'Rural' not 'Agriculture’ and on ‘education for rural people' not just 'farmers'

18. Education for Rural People (ERP) goes beyond education about agriculture. It is based on the assumption that education programmes in rural areas need to expand to include a variety of skills appropriate for success in rural areas

19. Rural Development programmes and strategies now address a range of needs including food and agriculture, rural employment, health, infrastructure and education

20. Changes in Policy In UK, ‘Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has become ‘Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ In NL, ‘Extension Education has become ‘Information and Communication Studies’ ‘Faculties of Agriculture’ have become ‘Faculties of Land Use and Rural Affairs’

21. 3. Future Directions for AET

22. What needs to be done? AET has to move towards a much broader multidisciplinary approach AET must develop human capacity not just for production agriculture but for environmentally and socially sustainable development throughout the rural sector AET must enter into more diverse rural sector related systems through a multiple field of partners AET must engage with a broader and more disadvantaged clientele (especially rural women and youth)

23. Future Choices AET systems from Universities to NFE have to decide how much change they need to make to meet the expectations of an expanded and diverse population of stakeholders and remain relevant Should AET continue to primarily serve (commercial) farmers OR redefine its mission to focus primarily on improving the wellbeing of all rural residents, farm or non-farm? The alternative to change is to become less and less relevant

24. Actions are needed at all levels 1. At Policy level 2. At Institutional level 3. At Systems level

25. At Policy Level It is necessary to have a clear policy environment in which any investment in AET is to be located Priorities must be spelt out, for example, the importance of small-scale semi-subsistence farmers as against modern commercial farmers Policy and strategy development (at government and institutional level) should be people centred and use participatory approaches based on up-to-date information ensure greater consonance between donor, national and local needs

26. At Institutional Level Staff development/institution building/capacity building (especially in the management of change) Increase collaboration and cooperation (especially local links with NGOs, CBOs rural communities, schools) New learning approaches (holistic and multidisciplinary approaches to problem solving and greater emphasis on experiential learning)Creating the right learning environment New curricula with greater participation (new mission and clientele) and more transferable skills New learning modes (distance education, mobile learning centres, part-time education, IT, media)

27. At Systems Level Redefine research priorities and ensure findings are more strongly fed into AET institutions Move beyond outreach to engagement of rural populations (on a two-way equal footing) Build partnerships between AET and the larger education system Form strategic alliances with NGOs, private sector, and consumers

28. Conclusion Two key elements are required to bring about change in AET systems VISION AND LEADERSHIP “what is needed is the vision to sense the future needs of the multiple stakeholders in R D and the leadership and determination to bring about change to enable the institutions to educate, train, research and serve for the benefit of the rural community”