Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: University undergraduate and graduate students, local growers, extension field staff, agribusiness professionals, university professors, university professionals, farmer cooperative members and leaders. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Four Iowa State University undergraduate students majoring in Global Resource Systems at Iowa State University received partial funding from the USDA-ISE Competitive Grant to conduct four- to six-week internships in China. The internships were with Fomdas Holding Company, a Chinese company that sells and processes agricultural products, Fuyang North Branch River Vegetable Cooperative, and Hangzhou Landscaping Incorporated. A research project focusing on practices observed in China is being conducted by a professor in horticulture and local grower who traveled together to China in the third year of the program. The research project focuses on a cover crop experiment that was set up at Kroul Farms in June-July, 2013. Buckwheat, oilseed radish, and yellow mustard cover crops were seeded along with an unseeded control. The objective of this experiment is to study the feasibility and effect of these cover crops on vegetable cropping systems. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Dissemination efforts have been through conferences, newsletters, and websites. Examples: The Iowa Farm Bureau with a circulation of over 160,000; AgEdison (website); Iowa Institute of Cooperatives (IIC) Board of Directors meeting; IIC Annual Meeting attended by over 100 participants; printed newsletter article and web post in central Iowa's Key Farmer's Cooperative circulated to 2,000+ members; interaction with agriculture producers, representatives of agricultural industry and community members and with people nationally and globally in the biofuels industry, including people at other ethanol and biofuel plants, producers participating in stover harvest research, and top DuPont and Pioneer managers; presentations to local Kiwanis of farmers and agribusiness leaders; shared observations regarding honeybee rural cooperatives in China with Iowa's fruit/vegetables growers and small-scale, organic farmers; ISU Extension website IowaProduce.org. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Advancing extension through sharing ideas learned from Chinese entrepreneurial agriculture enterprises with Iowa agricultural stakeholderswas met through travel experiences, disseminating information via seminars, conferences, newsletters, and the website. The goal of strengthening global competencies of students, faculty, and staff at Iowa State University in understanding the entrepreneurship that is used in China's food and agriculture was accomplished through the incorporation of lessons through pre-travel research and the travel experience into classroom teaching. Examples of Economics lessons included: Introduction to Agricultural Marketing – topical sections "Agricultural Markets and Supply Chains in China"; incorporated examples of China into Natural Resource Ecology and Soils class as well as in Global Resource Systems courses entitled Global Resource Systems and Resources of Developing Countries where lessons learned during the China trip focused on in-depth appraisal and comparisons of resource systems common throughout the developing and developed world, integrating natural resources with land tenure, societal structure, including gender issues, food security, agriculture systems, shelter, energy and wealth dynamics; classes on watershed management issues regarding major challenges faced all over the world and students made comparisons and debated the pros and cons of different management systems in the Midwestern US and the regions that were visited in China; topical section in Natural Resource Ecology and Management class that compares and contrasts agricultural practices between the US and China as they relate to zoonotic disease transmission (diseases that affect animals and people); use of fertilizers, pesticides as it relates to ecosystem health; and water quality and disease transmission/ecosystem health based. These courses reach approximately 800 students over the project period.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Kimle, Kevin and Guo Hongdong. Scaling Up From Smallholder Agriculture in China, North Branch River Vegetable Cooperative. International food & agribusiness management association 22nd annual world symposium, Shanghai, PRC. http://www.econ.iastate.edu/research/working-papers/p15735
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Carpenter, Brandon, Leah Riesselman, Nathan Davis, and Carolina Covington, Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University, Challenges Facing a Small Scale Professional Farmer in Peri-Urban China. 2013.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Kendall, Elise, Amy Rasmussen1, Dylan Rolfes, and Sharon Tusiime. Iowa State University, Departments of Global Resource Systems and Horticulture. Graduate and undergraduate case study (in progress). Migration and the structure of the family farm: A case study on the development of the peri-urban fruit and vegetable industry in eastern China.
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Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Advancing extension through sharing ideas learned from Chinese entrepreneurial agriculture enterprises with Iowa agricultural stakeholders was met through disseminating information via seminars, newsletters, the website, and face-to-face discussions. Iowa farmers Brian Sampson and Jeff Taylor are leaders with the Key Farmer's Cooperative serving central Iowa and have published an article regarding their China experience in a newsletter circulated to 2,000+ members and posted on the web; Richard Schultz and Brian Sampson presented to a local Kiwanis service organization of farmers and agribusiness leaders. Jeff Taylor, Iowa corn and soybean producer who chairs the Board of Directors of a 50-million gallon dry-mill ethanol plant, interacts daily with other producers, representatives of agricultural industry and community members and with people nationally and globally in the biofuels industry, including people at other ethanol and biofuel plants, producers participating in stover harvest research, and key DuPont and Pioneer managers. His travel to China is a common topic of conversation with all of these audiences. ISU Extension specialist, Jesse Randall, shared his observations regarding honeybee rural cooperatives in China with Iowa's small-scale organic farmers and fruit/vegetables growers. Strengthening global competencies of students, faculty, and staff at Iowa State University in understanding the entrepreneurship that is used in China's food and agriculture was accomplished by incorporating lessons learned into classroom teaching. In fall 2012 Richard Schultz incorporated examples of China into his Natural Resource Ecology and Soils class as well as in his Global Resource Systems course entitled Resources of Developing Countries. In these courses, lessons learned during the China trip focused on in-depth appraisal and comparisons of resource systems common throughout the developing and developed world, integrating natural resources with land tenure, societal structure, including gender issues, food security, agriculture systems, shelter, energy and wealth dynamics. He will also use information he garnered on the trip in his spring 2013 class on watershed management. Water management issues are a major challenge faced all over the world and students will be asked to make comparisons and debate the pros and cons of different management systems in the Midwestern US and the regions that were visited in China. Professor Julie Blanchong plans a topical section for her Spring 2013 Natural Resource Ecology and Management class that compares and contrasts agricultural practices between the US and China as they relate to zoonotic disease transmission (diseases that affect animals and people); use of fertilizers, pesticides as it relates to ecosystem health; and water quality and disease transmission/ecosystem health based. These courses reach approximately 170 students during the academic year. PARTICIPANTS: Gail Nonnecke, Principal Investigator: Collaborated with the 2012 team leaders regarding program objectives in preparation for the trip to China; oversaw student internships as an outgrowth of this program (no agency support for salary). Richard Schultz, Co-Project Director: Led the team to China, selected participants to travel to China, co-taught pre-departure orientation classes (no agency support for salary). Denise Bjelland, Co-Project Director: Collaborated on program itinerary in China, participant selection, financial management of program, arranging logistics to and within China. Co-taught pre-travel orientation on agriculture, culture, safety, for all Iowa participants traveling to China (received salary support from agency). Difei Shen, Co-Project Director: Collaborated on program itinerary in China, participant selection, contacted partners within China, conducted pre-travel orientation; traveled with team and served as translator (no agency support for salary). Professional development and learning occurred for the 8 ISU students, 3 ISU faculty, 1 ISU extension specialist, 3 Iowa growers, 2 ISU staff members. TARGET AUDIENCES: 1) ISU students who participated directly in the travel program (8) as well as those who benefit from the infusion of global perspectives into the formal classroom; 2) Iowa farmers/growers through newsletters to farmer cooperative members and presentations to local community groups and churches; 3) Face to face discussions with members of various agricultural cooperatives and commodity groups including Dupont and Pioneer; 4) Small fruit/vegetable growers and honey producers through discussions with ISU Extension specialists; 5) College website link to project overview, activities, reports, photographs, potentially reaching more than 5,000 university employees, 4,000 students enrolled in the College as well as anyone from around the globe who explores the http://www.global.ag.iastate.edu/project_asia.php PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Discussions with Chinese farmers, USDA Agriculture Trade Officers in Beijing, and Chinese professors, indicate China faces serious challenges in feeding its population due to increased economic growth and the ability to consume more meat, resulting in competition between animals and people for consuming food crops. Comparisons of population, amount of arable land, climate, soil quality and relative position in terms of technological development favors the US in terms of agricultural production. China would appear to be at an advantage in terms of multi-cropping. The U.S. mechanized approach to farming limits us to single crop/mono-culture systems vs. advantages of labor intensive systems in China. Much of China's ability to maintain internal food security depends on its ability to implement biotechnology and the corresponding gains in production efficiency seen in the U.S. and elsewhere. Achieving this by accessing US and other countries with advanced bio-technology assets makes more sense than attempting to develop it internally. However, U.S.-based biotechnology companies indicate that the Chinese are being careful not to allow a competitive edge until the local bio-technology industry is up and running. Land use/ownership is still under the control of the central government with quite a bit of authority delegated to local governments. The ability of government to respond to the needs of "society" is more of a priority than individual land ownership. This is evident in "large scale" matters resembling eminent domain considerations, infrastructure, and urban sprawl. The Chinese market economy is critical to the US. China holds over $1.2 trillion of the $14.3 trillion of US sovereign debt. In Iowa, China has become an essential market for corn, soybeans and pork. How much should Iowa invest in infrastructure to meet this demand More importantly, how dependable is this demand Discussions in Beijing with USDA Ag and Trade Association helped the participants understand the subject. It is believed that the Chinese society in large part looks up to the US and at US products as high quality and even a status symbol. Food fits this description also. The Iowa growers agreed as a result of the trip that the Chinese market represents a very good and growing opportunity for US agriculture so long as the market economy is strong. For Iowa grower, Brian Sampson, visiting with U.S. government officials in charge of negotiating trade deals with China proved to be a highlight. He gained a better understanding of the marketing opportunities between the United States and China. The largest importer of soybeans, China is also beginning to open the door for other food products such as beef. A lack of quality feedstuffs available in China creates poor quality homegrown beef. While imported beef products typically come from grass-fed Australian cattle, China's rapidly growing middle class began asking for U.S. beef products in 2011, resulting in resulting in a 36 percent increase in U.S. beef exports to China last year.
Publications
- KEVIN KIMLE AND HONGDONG, GUO. 2012. Case Study: Scaling Up From Smallholder Agriculture in China, North Branch River Vegetable Cooperative.
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Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The objective of advancing extension through sharing ideas learned from Chinese entrepreneurial agriculture enterprises with Iowa agricultural stakeholders was met through disseminating information via seminars, conferences, newsletters, and the website. For example: 1. The Iowa Farm Bureau posted an article about the trip in the Spokesman, with a circulation of over 160,000; 2. Kevin Kimle posted an article in AgEdison(website) that included observations during the trip; 3. participant Kayla Lyon from Iowa Institute of Cooperatives (IIC) presented at their Board of Directors meeting following the trip; 4. Participants Kayla Lyon from IIC and Rick Vaughan from Prairie Land Cooperative presented at the Cooperatives Annual Meeting attended by over 100 participants in Ames, Iowa on November 22, 2011. The goal of strengthening global competencies of students, faculty, and staff at Iowa State University in understanding the entrepreneurship that is used in China's food and agriculture was accomplished through the incorporation of lessons learned from year one activities into classroom teaching. For example, Kevin Kimle conducted a lecture in Economics 235/Introduction to Agricultural Marketing in the Spring 2011 semester based on the October 2010 planning trip (not funded by USDA). In addition a topical section of Econ 235 during the Spring 2012 semester will be "Agricultural Markets and Supply Chains in China," with the North Branch River Vegetable Cooperative Case Study serving as part of the reading materials for the section. The information for the case study was derived from the grant activities. The courses will reach approximately 150 students during the academic year who are enrolled in the courses and/or are involved in the agricultural entrepreneurship program at ISU. Three undergraduate students completed two-month internships in China in the agricultural sector. PARTICIPANTS: Gail Nonnecke, Principal Investigator: Collaborated with the 2011 team leader regarding program objectives in preparation for the trip to China; selected participants to travel to China; oversaw student internships as an outgrowth of this program (no agency support for salary). Kevin Kimle, Co-Project Director: Led team to China, contacted relevant partners within China for meetings/field trips (Pioneer and OSI) (no agency support for salary). Denise Bjelland, Co-Project Director: Collaborated on program itinerary in China, participant selection, financial management of program, arranging logistics to and within China. Conducted pre-travel orientation on China agriculture, culture, safety, for all Iowa participants traveling to China (received salary support from agency). Difei Shen, Co-Project Director: Collaborated on program itinerary in China, participant selection, contact partners within China. Conducted pre-travel orientation; traveled with team and served as translator (no agency support for salary). Professional development and learning occurred for the 5 ISU students, 3 faculty, 1 extension specialist, and 3 agribusiness professionals from Iowa Farm Bureau and Iowa Institute for Cooperatives who traveled to China. Undergraduate students being taught by Kevin Kimle have benefited from the infusion of lessons learned in China into the class curriculum. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences served by the project include Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesmen subscribers (160,000 members) through a web-based article of the experience in China; Iowa Institute of Cooperative members through face to face presentations at two separate conferences (approximately 150 members from a variety of industries, including agriculture, credit unions, rural electric, rural telephone, farm credit, petroleum, and more); an agricultural entrepreneur website post, AgEdison, by Kevin Kimle that includes observations during the trip; approximately 30 NCERA-210 members heard a presentation by Madeline Schultz (NCERA is a regional research project group focusing on cooperatives and provides an annual forum for interaction between academics, cooperative management, cooperative boards of directors, and government researchers); ISU faculty, staff, extension specialists; ISU students who participated directly in the travel program (5) as well as those who benefit from the infusion of global perspectives into the formal classroom and the student agricultural entrepreneurship clubs (approximately 150 per academic year). PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
To establish new research capacity for international research partnerships between ISU and Chinese industry professionals in the areas of agricultural entrepreneurship and supply chain creation for rural development, participant Madeline Schultz, ISU Extension, submitted an unsolicited proposal to USDA FAS Cochran Fellowship Program to bring Chinese cooperatives leaders here to learn more about cooperative business. She discussed her findings on the China trip with cohorts at the National Cooperatives Business Association annual meeting in Minnesota, who encouraged the submission of a proposal. If funded the program would bring 10 Cochran Fellows (cooperative farmer-members, university experts, government leaders) to the United States to study agricultural cooperatives. Fellows will meet and learn from many professionals providing service to the cooperative industry. A change in knowledge occurred for all U.S. participants (students, agribusiness professionals, extension specialists, university faculty/staff) in understanding the challenges of feeding 22 percent of the world total population in a country with only 7 percent of arable land. The entrepreneurial approach in China is even more important given the rigid system of land allocation, the legal, regulatory and intellectual property environment that constrains Chinese economic growth. Participants also learned about conducting agribusiness in China and China's evolving needs for future years. The U.S. team gained a greater understanding that in China geopolitical concerns drive decisions more than economics and that the politics of land use and local government are unclear. Although innovation in China occurs rapidly, there are fundamental constraints, many imposed by the government. Three undergraduate student interns worked on projects in agribusinesses related to agricultural economics and enhanced their knowledge of Chinese agriculture, culture, and language. One student will return to China in January 2012 for a semester-long internship at a US agribusiness located in China that the U.S. team visited to further her understanding of agricultural economics in China.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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