06/5/23
Ferrum College Associate Professor of Crop Science Tim Durham attended the biennial Global Farmer Network (GFN) meeting held in February 2023 in Argentina. Participants met to identify, share, and implement sustainable farming practices that align with the United Nations’ 2030 sustainable development goals.
While in Argentina, Durham visited local farms and experienced comparative agriculture, a topic of interest to him. He learned about the Argentinian government and about how the country’s 100% inflation rate impacts farmers long term. Durham also participated on a panel that discussed the future of agriculture, how to get people to care about it, and how to get them involved.
“How do you explain to people that agriculture is not just drudgery on a farm? It’s more than that,” said Durham, who spoke about the science behind agriculture to make it more understandable.
The GFN is a group of production farmers from around the world who have an interest in speaking up for agriculture. Calling themselves “ag-vocates”, members meet regularly to discuss priority areas for the future and strategize how they can be more effective communicators and amplify their voices.
“If new legislation is being proposed in the EU in Brussels, and they want some farmer opinions, we might dispatch a farmer in that area to speak up. If the UN needs someone to speak up about the state of agriculture and sustainability, we could send someone there to speak about that,” explained Durham.
“Argentina has a long tradition of developing and disseminating innovations based on the farmer-to-farmer model—it’s also a popular destination for its unique fusion of European and South American identities,” concluded Durham.
Durham will continue to teach Agriculture courses this fall, welcoming new and current Ferrum College students.
