Building the Base for Global Food Security: Agricultural Education and Training
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Agricultural Education and Training (AET) is a fundamental component of long-term sustainable development. However, for the past two decades, a lack of funding and support has resulted in vastly diminished capacity of previously robust agricultural institutions. Modern AET investments remain critical to develop sector capacity and improve global food security.
Going forward, investors must consider the “lessons learned” from past initiatives in order to best direct their resources. USAID tasked Weidemann Associates to review past AET efforts, identify sound practices to emulate, and highlight pitfalls to avoid in the future. In January, Weidemann held a roundtable to gather input from over 20 AET experts with diverse experiences in the field. In April, Weidemann released a comprehensive synthesis paper that lays out precise recommendations for international donors on the best ways to move forward with AET. The paper, linked under “Supporting Resources” below, explores the critical knowledge and information services that AET institutions provide to create a qualified human resource base for developing countries.
This seminar outlined the history of USAID’s investment in Agricultural Education and Training and highlighted key recommendations from the synthesis paper.
Speakers
Wesley Weidemann
Weidemann Associates, Inc.
Wesley Weidemann has over 40 years of agricultural development and education experience. He has been President of Weidemann Associates, Inc., a leading international firm specializing in agricultural development, for the past 25 years. In the 1970’s, he was a Rockefeller Foundation Representative and Visiting Lecturer in Agricultural Economics at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. He was also an Advisor for the International Cooperation Training Center at the University of Wisconsin Madison, as well as the Program Director for Cooperation in Education and Training at UW. He has a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of Wisconsin Madison.
Bill Rivera
Independent International Development Consultant
William M. Rivera specializes in agricultural knowledge support services, particularly extension and post-secondary education, focusing on program development, capacity building, and institutional reform. He retired in September 2009 from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has served as chief of party, team member, and individual consultant for project supervision, evaluation and formulation missions aimed at achieving policy and institutional goals for agricultural and human resources development. This policy and institutional focus continues to guide his academic writing as well as his practical activities. He has contributed over 100 refereed publications and several edited books to the literature, stressing the importance of aligning agricultural policy and institutional and program development expectations. He has a Masters in Economics (The American University) and a Ph.D. in Adult Education (Syracuse University).
Charles Maguire
Independent International Development Consultant
Charles J. Maguire has over 40 years experience in the field of agricultural education and training and holds a B.S. in Agriculture and a Masters and Ph.D. in Vocational Technical Education (Ag Ed).Work experience includes nine years in Africa (Zambia, 3 years, and Nigeria, 6 years). He has taught at the secondary and university levels and managed extension training programs in developing countries. He worked for the World Bank for 25 years in capacity building for agricultural development projects and as an Agricultural Education specialist. Presently, he has served as a consultant for the World Bank and other organizations, including FAO in Rome. He undertakes pro bono work with the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF), an international anti-corruption organization, and the Asia Pacific Educators for Agriculture and the Environment (APEAEN) organization based in Tokyo and Manila. He is a frequent keynote speaker at agricultural education conferences in Europe and Asia and has been an advocate for a renewal of investment in agricultural education and training for many years.
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