Labor and Human Capital, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Davis, Carlton George

English

Research Papers in Economics

SOUTHERN  JOURNAL  OF AGRICULTURAL  ECONOMICS  JULY,  1985
DISCUSSION:  HUMAN  CAPITAL  NEEDS  OF BLACK  LAND-
GRANT  INSTITUTIONS
Carlton  G.  Davis
Parks and  Robbins  have  prepared  a  paper  nomics  human  capital  needs  of black  land-
on  an  interesting  and  timely  topic  for  the  grant  institutions  and will  offer  some  addi-
Southern Agricultural  Economics Association  tional  viewpoints  on  certain  issues  and  im-
(SAEA)  meeting.  First,  the  black  land-grant  plications.  This  approach  is  intended  to
institutions  will  soon be  celebrating  a  cen-  provide a more identifiable contextual frame-
tury of outstanding service to southern rural  work  for  analysis  of  the  issues  that  were
and  urban  clientele,  as  well  as  the  nation  presented  by Parks and  Robbins.
(Smith;  Williams).  Second,  this  year,  being  The  discussion  and  issues  presented  by
the  seventy-fifth  anniversary  of our  parent  Parks  and  Robbins  could  have  been  more
organization,  the American Agricultural  Eco-  effectively  presented  if the  arguments  were
nomics Association  (AAEA),  might be  an op-  developed  within  the  following  contextual
portune time for the Association  to critically  sequence.  First,  establish  very  early  in  the
evaluate  its  collective  contributions  to  the  paper,  a  sense  of the  historical  and  evolu-
institutional  and  human  resource  develop-  tionary characteristics  of the role, scope, and
mental efforts of this component  of the land-  service  dimensions  of the  black  land-grant
grant complex.  institutions  as  they  adjusted  to  structural
The authors approached the topic from the  changes in the agricultural and rural sectors.
following  vantage  points:  (a)  a  review  of  Second, review and assess the facilitating con-
factors associated with current and projected  tributions  of  the  agricultural  economics
shortages of agricultural scientists,  including  profession  to  the changing  institutional  ob-
agricultural economists, (b) a review of trends  e  n  clientele  needs  of the  institu- in the  supply  and demand  for persons  with  jectives  and  clientele  needs  of  the  institu-
in the  supply and  demand  for persons with  tions.  Third  highlight  any  disciplinary
graduate  training in agricultural  economics,  t  encies  that  might  have  or  are  still  im-
(c)  a  review  of some  of the  relevant  theo-  posing constraints on the ability of the profes-
retical and empirical issues relating to blacks  resn  ailit  ly  the evol
sion to respond facilitatively to the evolving in the  agricultural  economics  labor market, institutional  and human capital needs of these and  (d)  evaluative  observations  relating  to  nsttution.
the  interactive  impacts  of labor  market  and  istitutions.
institutional factors  on the  agricultural  eco-  Within  the  conte  three  ier-
nomics capital stocks  of black land-grant  in-  related  dimensions,  the  paper  could  have
stitutions.  been improved by reviewing the evolutionary
Some of the issues raised in the paper have  and  greatly  expanded  mission  and  service
recently been  the focal point of professional  role of the black land-grant  institutions.  The
dialogue  at  the  national  level  (Davis  and  original sixteen 1890 Land-Grant Institutions
Alien; Jones et al; Robbins  and Evans; Strauss  were  charged  with the  responsibility  of de-
and Tarr).  The paper  has contributed  to the  veloping  educational,  extension,  and  re-
professional dialogue by:  (a)  identifying some  search  programs  for  rural  black  people.
of the key issues in the debate,  (b) presenting  However, technological  revolution in the ag-
an  outline  of certain  issues which  serve  to  ricultural sector triggered major resource ad-
direct our thinking, and (c)  highlighting some  justment problems for rural blacks.  By virtue
of the policy  and program  agenda  items for  of legislative mandate and sensitivity to clien-
the profession  relative  to  these  issues.  This  tele  needs,  these institutions were forced to
discussion will attempt to refine some of the  expand  their  role,  scope,  and  services  to  a
issues raised relative to the agricultural eco-  disproportionate  number of black,  poor, and
Carlton  G.  Davis  is  a  Professor,  Department  of Food and  Resource  Economics,  University  of Florida.
Invited discussion  presented  at the  annual meeting  of the Southern  Agricultural  Economics Association,  Biloxi,
Mississippi,  February 3-6,  1985.  Invited papers  are routinely published  in the July SJAE without editorial  council
review but with  review  of the  copy editor  (as per  Executive Committee  action June  25,  1982).
71socially alienated segment of the population  The paper could also have been made more
(Smith; Williams).  This point is emphasized  interesting if additional  efforts were made to
because  it  could  have  been  used  by  Parks  evaluate  in "harder"  terms,  the relationship
and Robbins  to forcefully emphasize the im-  between  the  availability  and  application  of
portant and far-reaching  point that the  1890  agricultural economics capabilities to human
Land-Grant  Institutions  did not discover the  resource  issues  at  black  land-grant  institu-
"People  Left  Behind"  in  the  1960's  as  was  tions,  and  the  available  pool  of blacks  and
the  case  for  many  1862  institutions.  These  other  minority  professional  agricultural
1890 institutions  have worked for and have  economists  at  such institutions.  Survey  data
been  a  major  access  route  for  blacks,  and  from  the  AAEA  Committee  on  the  Status  of
alienated poor people into the American eco-  Blacks  in the Agricultural  Economics  Profes-
nomic mainstream.  sion could have been drawn on for this pur-
An  important  implication  of  this  evolu-  pose.  Such  a  relationship  would  be  useful
tionary  role  and  scope  of the  1890  institu-  information for addressing  the policy  impli-
tions  is that they have been,  by necessity,  at  cations  of underrepresentation  of blacks  in
the forefront of human resource development  the  profession.  In this  regard,  Bawden  attri-
efforts for the economically and socially  dis-  butes  the  lack  of  disciplinary  concern  for
advantaged.  Furthermore,  to  a  great  extent  black  and  other  minority  problems  to  the
these efforts were neutral with respect to the  underrepresentation  of  such  groups  in  the
locational  and/or  vocational  preferences  of  profession (p.885). He argues that one reason
clientele groups. Equally important is the fact  why  agricultural  economists  have  been  so
that these activities dealt with the entire range  successful  in dealing with problems  of farm
of  labor  supply  variables,  including  migra-  communities  is that a large  proportion were
tion.  This  heavy  commitment  to  human  re-  reared on farms. As such, they were intimately
source  development  efforts  by  these  familiar  with  the  subject  prior  to  entering
institutions  was  documented  in  a  1974  graduate  school.  He  then  extended  this  ar-
Southern Journal of Agricultural Econom-  gument to make  a  case  for greater  minority
ics (SJAE) paper by Davis. Parks and Robbins  representation in the profession.  In short, he
could  have  developed  this  theme  and  used  argued  that  greater  minority  representation
it to explain why  1890  institutions  have  ac-  in  the  profession  would  ensure  increased
corded  higher  priority  to  and  consistently  sensitivity to, knowledge  of, and willingness
allocated a relatively large proportion of their  to address  minority related  issues and prob-
financial  and intellectual  resources to teach-  lems.
ing,  extension,  and research  efforts  in  such  There  are  strong  indications  in  the paper
areas  as  manpower  training,  health,  educa-  that Parks and Robbins are in agreement with
tion,  management  skills,  vocational  rehabil-  Bawden on this point. They could have gone
itation, and adjustment strategies for limited  a step further and noted some of the broader
resource and part-time farmers. An interesting  national  and  regional  policy  issues  relating
sub-theme could have been developed around  to:  (a)  professional commitment to increased
such  issues  as  to  how:  (a)  the  collective  black  representation  in  the  discipline,  (b)
analytical and policy-directing capabilities of  alternative  operational mechanisms for trans-
the  agricultural  economics  profession  have  lating  philosophical  commitment  and good-
(or have not) been attuned to and/or applied  will  into  effective  action,  and  (c)  program-
to these subject matter areas within the black  matic  changes  in  the  scope  and  depth  of
land-grant  institutions,  (b)  the  absence  (or  mission  oriented  agricultural  economics
presence)  of relevant agricultural economics  training to serve black land-grant institutions'
capabilities  at these institutions  have or  can  clientele.  In  critically  examining  these  par-
affect the  long term programmatic  activities  ticular  issues,  the  profession  may  uncover
of  these  institutions,  and  (c)  the  void  in  valuable  information  relating  to  the  long-
general  agricultural  economics  capabilities  term growth potential and survival strategies
are being  met.  for the profession.
REFERENCES
Bawden,  D.  Lee.  "The Neglected  Human  Factor."  Amer. J.  Agr.  Econ., 55(1973):879-87.
Davis, Carlton G.  "Rural Development Research Program  of Southern  1862  and  1890 Land-
Grant  Institutions:  Characteristics,  Needs  and  Priorities  for  the  1970s."  So.  J.  Agr.
Econ.,  6,1(1974):79-89.
72Davis,  Carlton  G.  and  J.  E.  Allen.  "Black  Agricultural  Economists  in  the  Labor  Market:
Theoretical  and  Empirical  Issues."  Amer. J. Agr.  Econ.,  65(1983):981-7.
Jones,  Dewitt,  Mack  Nelson,  and  Alfred  L. Parks.  "Demand  and  Supply  Factors  of  Black
Agricultural  Economists."  Amer. J.  Agr.  Econ., 65(1983):988-92.
Robbins,  Richard D., and Sydney H. Evans. "Characteristics of BlackAgricultural  Economists."
Amer. J.  Agr.  Econ., 65(1983):993-8.
Smith,  James  W.  "The  Contributions  of  Black  Americans  to  Agricultural  Extension  and
Research,"  in Increasing Understanding  of Public Problems and Policies-1984.  Oak
Brook,  Illinois:  Farm  Foundation,  1984,  pp.  3-9.
Strauss,  Robert  P.  and  Michael  J.  Tarr.  "Salary  Patterns  of Agricultural  Economists  in  the
Early  1980s."  Amer. J.  Agr.  Econ., 64(1984):1,053-61.
Williams,  T.  T.  "The  Role  of the  1890  Colleges  and Universities  in Research  on  Minority
Problems."  Amer. J.  Agr.  Econ., 55(1973):947-51.
7374

Black Agricultural Economists in the Labor Market: Theoretical and Empirical Issues.&quot;

Characteristics of BlackAgricultural Economists.&quot;

Demand and Supply Factors of Black Agricultural Economists.&quot;

Salary Patterns of Agricultural Economists in the Early 1980s.&quot;

The Contributions of Black Americans to Agricultural Extension and Research,&quot;

The Neglected Human Factor.&quot;

The Role of the 1890 Colleges and Universities in Research on Minority Problems.&quot;

DISCUSSION: HUMAN CAPITAL NEEDS OF BLACK LAND-GRANT INSTITUTIONS

DISCUSSION: HUMAN CAPITAL NEEDS OF BLACK LAND-GRANT INSTITUTIONS

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