Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Peterson, Everett E.

English

Research Papers in Economics

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

PROBLEMS AND POTENTIALS OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS EXTENSION

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Research Papers in Economics