OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVES ON AGRIBUSINESS RESEARCH, TEACHING, AND OUTREACH

Many of my thoughts in this paper come from the author's experience in conducting comprehensive reviews of agricultural economics departments. The author suggests the need to look at the forces affecting the demand for our products and be willing to challenge many of the myths about the structure and performance of the university system and the agribusiness system. Agriculture is losing a lot of its uniqueness and becoming part of the mainstream. Colleges of agriculture have changed considerably in the last 50 years; they will change even more in the next fifty years. What is our unique niche? How willing are we to adapt to its challenges? These questions must be answered in regard to the future of agribusiness research, teaching, and outreach.