UT students travel to South Africa to cultivate knowledge of global agriculture industry
Three UT students traveled with FFA to South Africa in January to learn about South African culture and the agriculutre industry, allowing them to cultivate ideas on how to improve agriculture in the United States.
//Photo by Ryan McGill
Three students from the University of Tennessee recently traveled to South Africa with the National FFA Organization for an agricultural learning opportunity.
Ally Clark, Sam Daniel and Dalton Teel arrived with the team of 75 researchers in South Africa and stayed from Jan. 4-16. The students took this trip as an opportunity to learn about South African agriculture and how to apply their principles in the United States.
Clark noted that although there are cultural differences between two countries, both American and South Africans share a strong relationship between the everyday man and the farmer. In United States, the use of antibodies and GMOs is increasing, which has resulted in increased pressure from organization such as PETA on the parts of agriculture industry. Conversely, South Africans are more conscious of the source and production methods of their production methods of their food and thus pay more attention to the use of safe and ethical methods of production, including the use of scales to ensure proper measurement and accuracy.
“In The United States we have people who fight against the agriculture industry. We thought it was interesting to see that their people really appreciated what their farmers do,” Clark said.
Teel said that while some Americans are several generations removed from the farming business, many South Africans are only one or two generations removed from that lifestyle. This gives them a stronger understanding of what is involved in the business of growing food.
South Africans maintain this connection to farmers through a strong agritourism industry. The group visited farmers that had sections of their homes operating as a bed and breakfast for people looking for a rural place to stay. This allows travellers an opportunity to learn what goes into the process of farming certain crops and gives them an understanding and connection to farmers, which the United States lacks.
“We could use that back here in the States to really show people where their food comes from,” Daniel said.
Looking into the future of agriculture, the group met a farmer, Andre, who suggested that goats are the future of global meat production. He said goats are easier to produce than cattle or hogs, and religious organizations like Islam and Judaism place dietary restrictions on pork, while Indian culture largely abstains from eating beef. Goat, however, is fair game.
“Even in the United States, goat production is on the rise,” Teel said. “In major cities, there are markets that specialize in goat production.”
For anyone considering a trip like this, the group advised to go, but forget your expectations. “Not only is it geographically beautiful, but the people are some of the greatest in the world,” said Daniel.
Featured Image by Ryan McGill
Edited by Kaitlin Flippo
