By Emily Schneider, Senior in Agricultural Communications and Journalism at Kansas State University

The world we live in is getting smaller every day. Technological advancements, globalization and the Internet have made the other side of the world seem like our backyard. As an agriculture student preparing for the “real world,� it is imperative that I am exposed

to international agriculture, marketing and trade. With this in mind, I applied to be a part of the 2010 International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program that will journey to Malaysia and Taiwan for a 12-day tour of the agricultural industry.

The I-CAL program was developed as a partnership with The Grains Foundation. It is coordinated through the National FFA Organization and is designed to help team members learn about international agriculture, marketing and trade, as well as acquire a unique cultural experience. Objectives for the program include creating an awareness regarding markets for international grains and grain products, developing a specific awareness of The Grains Foundation and its function and role in the U.S. grain industry, understanding current international trade and cultural issues, and applying newfound knowledge to future careers and educational endeavors.

My team members and I will be overseas May 16-28, and during this time, we will have the opportunity to tour several different agricultural industries including: aquaculture, palm oil, poultry, swine, barely, DDGS (distiller’s dried grains with solubles), rice, bioplastics and feed milling. Moreover, we will have the opportunity to meet with industry experts from the Foreign Agricultural Service, Federation of Livestock Farmers Association of Malaysia, Council of Agriculture in Taiwan, China Grain Products Research and Development Institute and Taiwan Feed Industry Association.

As a dairy farmer’s daughter from central Kansas, I am looking forward to experiencing the diverse agriculture of this region, as well as to the exposure to another agriculture market. For the past four years, I have worked at the International Grains Program (IGP) in Manhattan, Kan. From my experiences there, I have seen firsthand how important trade and foreign markets are to American agriculture. Building new trade relationships is vital for the future of American farmers. It will be up to my generation to capitalize on the opportunities a global marketplace can offer. I believe it will be experiences like the I-CAL program that will help us do just that.

I am currently a senior, majoring in agricultural communications and journalism at Kansas State University. I also am pursuing minors in agricultural economics and international agriculture, with an emphasis in political science. After graduation, I plan to continue my education by completing a Master’s Degree in public administration. Ultimately, I plan to pursue a career in agricultural policy, perhaps with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I hope to one day be involved with the creation of policy for U.S. agriculture, and I feel that by gaining a better understanding of international trade, I will be better suited to help make important policy decisions in the future.

I know I speak for all the I-CAL team members when I say thank you to The Grains Foundation for their generous sponsorship of the program, as well as everyone else who has helped to make the I-CAL program possible. We look forward to sharing what we have learned with everyone once we return.