Workshop Announcement and Registration
Privatization of Technology and
Information Transfer in U.S. Agriculture: Research and Policy Implications
October 25-26, 1995
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Memorial Union
Sponsors
#021# USEPA, Agriculture Policy Branch
#021# Ciba Plant Protection
#021# USDA
- Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
-Natural Resources Conservation Service
#021# American Society of Agronomy
#021# DowElanco
#021# The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
#021# The Soil and Water Conservation Society
#021# University of Wisconsin:
- Agricultural Technology and Family Farm Institute
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, School of Natural Resources
- Institute for Environmental Studies
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Welcome
Within agriculture, use and control of information is driving
transformation. While this transformation is observed at many levels within
agricultural systems, the trend toward off-farm, private sector firms
assuming increased amounts of control and responsibility for on-farm
production decisions is recognized as particularly important. A wide
variety of factors that contribute to this trend include changes in the
structure of agriculture; the nature of food and fiber production,
processing and marketing activities; internalization of R&D functions by
private sector firms; and changes in agroecosystems. In addition, the
emergence of new production technologies that support and demand
information-intense management has raised many questions regarding relations
between producers and agribusiness.
Importantly, these developments are occurring at a time when the federal
deficit and shifts in agricultural and environmental policy are changing the
way the public sector at all levels of government interacts with producers.
The U.S.D.A. Extension Service, the public sector institution traditionally
most directly engaged in agricultural technology and information transfer,
is involved far less substantially in direct contact with producers than it
once was. The role of the Natural Resources Conservation Service with
respect to activities such as whole farm planning is also changing.
Emerging public and private sector roles suggest a transition toward
privatization of technology and information transfer in agriculture.
Reliance on market forces, rather than on governmental regulation and
service provision, points to the need for reinterpretation of the
institutional arrangements which shape interaction between producers,
consumers, industry and government.
The farm- and field-level decisions made by farmers and the issue of who
supports and influences these decisions have important environmental, social
and economic implications. However, the nature and distribution of these
implications and more basic information such as the emerging structure of
agricultural information markets and the roles occupied by such firms in
various production systems are not well understood.
The primary objective of the workshop is to develop a policy research
agenda which will serve as a point of departure for individuals and
institutions interested in pursuing an enhanced understanding of the
environmental implications and potential institutional reactions to
emergence of privatized agricultural information channels. The workshop is
divided into three one-half day segments: 1) the conceptual context in which
we examine use and control of agricultural information, 2) current farm- and
field-level information flows in crop and livestock production systems, 3)
implications for policy research. This workshop structure is an outgrowth
of our sense of a gap in theory, research and policy regarding the
development, delivery, and control of information in agriculture.
Privatization and/or industrialization of agricultural technology R&D;
capital, mechanical, genetic and chemical input markets; and commodity
procurement, processing, marketing and distribution functions in agriculture
have been documented in the literature. However, a far less developed
understanding exists as to private-sector internalization of information
flows critical to on-farm production activities. We emphasize farm- and
field-level production activities, the sub-system where non-point pollution
is most problematic, in order to remain focused on environmental impacts of
agriculture.
This workshop will provide an interdisciplinary forum in which both public
and private sector representatives will address the privatization of
technology and information transfer in agriculture. We invite you to attend
and participate in what we believe will be a valuable event.
Sincerely,
Steven Wolf, Workshop Coordinator, University of Wisconsin, Institute for
Environmental Studies
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Workshop Steering Committee:
Sandra Batie, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural Economics
Frederick Buttel, University of Wisconsin, Agricultural Technology and Family
Farm Institute
Dennis Keeney, Iowa State University, Leopold Center for Sustainable
Agriculture
Peter Nowak, University of Wisconsin, Department of Rural Sociology
Edwin Rajotte, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology
David Zilberman, University of California - Berkeley, Department of
Agricultural and Resource Economics
Wednesday, October 25, 1995
8:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks and Welcome, Roger Wyse, Dean University of
Wisconsin, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
I. CONTEXT OF PRIVATIZATION
9:15 a.m. Michael Boehlje, Department of Agricultural Economics,
Purdue University
Dennis Keeney, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa
State University
10:30 a.m. Coffee Break
11:00 a.m. Developments Abroad: Privatization of Extension
Mike Bunney, Performance Improvement Partnership, England
John Cary, Dept. of Agr. and Resource Management University of Melbourne
Brian Scarsbrick, Landcare, Australia (invited)
12:30 p.m. Luncheon
Speaker: Tom Hebert, Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and
Environment
II. INFORMATION FLOWS IN FARM- AND FIELD- LEVEL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
2:00 p.m. Cropping Systems: Steven Wolf, Institute for Environmental
Studies, University of Wisconsin
Livestock Systems: Amy Purvis, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas
A&M University
3:15 Coffee Break
3:45 Panel 1: Front-Line Information Providers
Harold Lambert, National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants
Ed Rajotte, Department of Entomology, Penn State University
Steve Watts, The McGregor Company, Colfax, WA
Thomas Stein, Knowledgeworks, Inc. Minneapolis, MN
Moderator: Fran Pierce, Department of Crop and Soil Science, Michigan State
University
5:15 p.m. Recess
5:30-6:30 p.m. Reception
Thursday, October 26, 1995
7:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Kermit Burnside, U.S. Crops Weed Mngt., R&D, DowElanco
Ray Hoefer, Technology Transfer, DowElanco
Don Holt, Director, Office of Research, IL Agr. Experiment Station
Frederick Buttel, Department of Rural Sociology, University of Wisconsin
10:00 a.m. Coffee Break
10:30 a.m. Panel Two: Toward a Policy Research Agenda
Peter Kuch, EPA
Katherine Smith, Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture
Charles Rock, Ciba Plant Protection
Jeff Zinn, Congressional Research Service
Moderator: Peter Nowak, Department of Rural Sociology, University of
Wisconsin
12:30 p.m. Workshop Wrap-up
David Zilberman, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics,
University of California, Berkeley
1:00 p.m. Adjourn
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Who Should Attend:
Our intention is to convene a meeting of a diverse group of people with
different roles in and perspectives on agroecological systems and their
management. Academics from a variety of social science, natural science,
and technical disciplines, as well as public administrators, agribusiness
representatives, independent crop consultants, and environmentalists will be
important contributors to the event. People interested how market forces,
government, industry, technology, and agroecosystems interact should
participate in this workshop.
Format
Our objective is to encourage dialogue among those present at the workshop
and capture that dialogue through video and written transcripts. Paper
presentations are designed to delineate topic areas. Panel presentations
will elaborate on topics as presented by paper presenters and facilitate
audience participation. Substantial blocks of time within each session are
reserved for discussion.
kground Papers
Discussion papers will be distributed prior to the workshop to all
registered participants.
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Workshop Contact:
Steven Wolf
420 Agriculture Hall
1450 Linden Drive
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262-6049 (tel.)
(608) 262-6022 (fax)
wolf@ssc.wisc.edu
Registration Contact:
CALS Conference Office
University of Wisconsin
620 Babcock Drive
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 263-1672 (tel.)
(608) 262-5088 (fax)
Privatization of Technology and Information
Transfer in U.S. Agriculture
October 25-26, 1995
Fee: $75
Fee includes workshop proceedings, breaks, lunch on Oct. 25,
and a reception.
(Please print or type)
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Payment must be received with completed registration form. Please enclose a
check/PO number payable to UW-Madison and send to:
CALS Conference Office
University of Wisconsin
620 Babcock Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Cancellations
If you are unable to attend the workshop, please notify the CALS Conference
Office immediately at 608/263-1672 (tel.) or 608/262-5088 (fax). To receive
a full refund, you must cancel by October 18, 1995. No refund will be given
after this date.