FFA Members.Ready to Compete Globally: "The Making of a High School Ag Ed Study Abroad"

As the waiters circled the tables with skewers of picanha and pineapple, students sampled any food placed in front of them and enjoyed the fellowship surrounding that day in the foreign land of Brazil. Used to eating their meals in 1 5 minutes or less, these youth spent nearly 3 hours savoring this traditional Brazilian barbecue in Piracicaba, Brazil, just outside the metropolis of Sao Paulo. They had evolved from the culture of their homeland to appreciate the uniqueness of culture unknown to them. The study abroad trip for which they had waited so anxiously was now upon them. Would it be the culture, the agribusiness tours or the people that would open their mind the most during this experience? As agricultural educators, we have a role in developing our students' view of the world. How we help them understand the world's marketplace will ultimately affect their career success, the way they treat people (customers), and grow into valuable citizens. So then, what are the objectives of an international activity? International agriculture experiences should help our students understand the global marketplace, respect diversity and examine international agricultural careers. The Global Marketplace.. With ever improving communication and logistics channels, our students need to understand that American agriculture must continue to do business with all parts of the world. Whether researching a country's global impact on line or visiting the country in person, students need to be aware that we are trading partners with many countries and vica versa. International alliances are necessary for trading our corn, soybeans, beef, pork, etc. Similarly, we depend on Russian wheat, Brazilian sugarcane, Dominican bananas, Chilean grapes, etc. In any trip abroad, touring these types of agribusiness are the best ways to show students a variety of products, production practices and ways of doing business. Most international agribusinesses are thrilled to host foreigners and their hospitality alone is good for students to see. Respecting Diversity.. An international activity should teach students the value of diversity. Diversity, or variety, can apply to many things. First and foremost is the diversity in culture and race that an international agriculture experience offers students. Cultural and racial diversity can obviously be experienced without leaving the country, however, a service learning project in a foreign land exposes students to various living conditions, develops international civic relationships and fosters dialog among natives and students while working side by side. Diversity, with regard to international experiences, should also be applied to food, customs, language, education and agriculture. As agricultural educators, the diversity in agriculture and education can be intriguing in another country. Students will undoubtedly sense the difficulty of communicating and taste the variety of food much faster than anything else. As with the introduction to this article, students will adapt to this variety quickly or realize the "pickiness" of their tastes. International agriculture activities will show students that diversity just means "variety" or "different" and "different isn't bad, it's just different." This open-mindedness by students for diversity in people, agricultural production, culture, food and language is a very satisfying feeling as an agricultural educator. It is the same respect that will serve students well in their careers and in treating people "honest and fair in the game of life." International Agriculture Careers.. Finally, an international agriculture activity should allow students to examine the wide array of agricultural careers in the world. These careers may be working for an agribusiness native to another country, working for a non-government organization (mission work or Peace Corps) or working for a multinational corporation with subsidiaries around the world. …