Careers in Agriculture and Beyond

Agriculture: A World of Scientific and Professional Opportunities

Dale Stansbury, director, Agriculture and National Resources Programs, National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and Kyle Jane Coulter, director, Higher Education Programs, USDA.

In the face of the current dilemma confronting U.S. agriculture, how could anyone dare describe careers in agriculture as a "world of opportunity?" In fact, however, the problems confronting U.S. agriculture increase the need for high quality professionals with vision to find solutions.

Further, opportunities abound because agriculture is the most critical sector of our roughly $4 trillion economy. The challenge to produce food and fiber needed by earth's 6 billion citizens is staggering. The challenge of getting the food from producers to consumers, who frequently are thousands of miles apart, also is awesome.

Few people, however, fully understand the breadth and complexity of the U.S. food and agricultural system, nor are they aware of the human capital base underlying this phenomenally successful system.

Miracles Achieved

U.S. agriculture has achieved miracles, producing the widest variety of wholesome food at the lowest relative cost for more than 230 million Americans. Furthermore, it supplies $30 to $40 billion of farm commodities for shipment abroad as commercial exports and humanitarian aid.

The greatest compliment to the success of the U.S. agricultural system is that nearly every citizen takes for granted the quantity and quality of food produced by U.S. farmers. This is not the case for much of the world, nor has it been the historic norm. There has been a serious famine somewhere in the world every year throughout recorded history. This dismal history led British economist Thomas R. Malthus to hypothesize that the world's population growth ultimately would outstrip our ability to feed ourselves.

Not only have our farmers refuted Malthus' famous predictions, rather they seem to have reversed his theory our Nation is awash with surplus food. But this abundance must be put into proper context. World food stocks represent only a few months' supply if production were ended. The ominous consequences of the alternative shortages make these surplus stocks less burdensome.

While U.S. agricultural producers are outstanding, they, in fact, are only a pivotal component of a remarkable food and agricultural system a system that affords a multiplicity of career opportunities for college and university graduates.

Farming and ranching are often the most visible parts of the system, but ultimately account for only about one-sixth of employment in the food and agricultural system which accounts for one-fifth of national employment. The system is a team effort, its diverse players ranging from United Auto Workers in farm machinery plants to research scientists in biotechnology. If any fail, the effectiveness of all will slip.

Archlike Nature of Agriculture

The U.S. food and agricultural system can be depicted as an arch. The keystone of the arch is the producer. The arch rests on two vital bases natural resources (including climate, soil, an water) and science and technology. Other critical components include the agricultural supply sector (including fertilizer, chemicals, and equipment manufacturing), service institutions (such as financial, insurance, and communications entities), marketing activities (transportation, processing, wholesaling, and retail units), and public service activities (market re- porting grades and standards, and weather information), all of which support the food and agriculture system.

Multiplicity of Careers

While this depiction of our food and agricultural system is not comprehensive, it shows that agriculture careers extend far beyond farming. Two important factors add to the excitement of agricultural careers.

First, agriculture is a biologically based endeavor. Climate, diseases, and pests are unpredictable adversaries that constantly threaten the system. It is an unending struggle to keep ahead of a rather fickle Mother Nature who seems to find ragweeds just as appealing as corn and gypsy moths as important as trees.

Second, U.S. agriculture functions in a global market. The product of one out of every three U.S. acres is shipped abroad. The weather conditions in Siberia or Argentina as well as the trading policies of other nations affect the U.S. system. Furthermore, the reverse is true. Italian pasta manufacturers may well be more concerned about weather reports from North Dakota than from Rome.

Complex, Challenging System

This complex, challenging system affords an almost limitless variety of career opportunities in natural resources management, food and fiber production, science and technology, business, education, and government. Agriculture needs the talents of the best professionals to meet old and new challenges of producing and delivering food and fiber to the world's consumers. It affords dynamic, exciting opportunities with domestic and international dimensions.