An animal science major in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences is one of a select few students in the country chosen to an invitation-only roundtable discussion with agricultural leaders and peers.
Senior Milosh McAdoo has been named a 2023 Cultivator by the Farm Foundation, an honor given to six university students across the nation. The students are invited to present a case study in an area of their interest to industry members as part of a closed-session panel, held this year in Savannah, Georgia.
“It was just a great opportunity to network with folks within the agricultural industry, both peers and leaders within the space, and be able to present on topics we are passionate about,” McAdoo said.
McAdoo was nominated by Antoine Alston, Ph.D., associate dean of academic studies,
“Milosh demonstrates all the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of dynamic young agricultural scholar and leader,” said Alston. “This tremendous professional development opportunity is very competitive and selective, with an annual cadre of high achieving future agricultural leaders chosen to participate. Milosh fits that environment perfectly.”
As a member of the six-student panel, McAdoo gave a presentation on the topic of “cultural competence within international agricultural development,” using the African country Burkina Faso as his case study.
“Cultural competence takes a community-centered approach to the work that’s being done instead of going in with preconceived notions of what agriculture should look like,” McAdoo explained. “It’s taking in people’s culture, history, traditions, and norms within a particular area to develop meaningful projects or initiatives that build sustainable infrastructure for agriculture within these countries.”
Burkina Faso’s diverse population and the developments taking place in the country’s agricultural, economic and social growth made it an interesting study for McAdoo. He used research and discussions with people both inside and outside N.C. A&T who have experience in the country to create his case study.
One of six students in the nation chosen as a Cultivator, McAdoo presents a case study on Burkina Faso’s cultural and agricultural developments to industry leaders
“There are over 60 different ethnic groups in Burkina Faso. That makes it a particularly neat place to examine because of those differences,” said McAdoo. “One of the agricultural opportunities that I saw in my case study was the integration of cultural competence curriculum in post-secondary agriculture programs.”
Agricultural issues within the country include climate adaptation, water, and sanitation and aid for some of the country’s most vulnerable populations, particularly women and youth, McAdoo said.
McAdoo said that he appreciated both the networking and the engagement opportunities.
“I was reminded of just how diverse the issues and opportunities are in the agricultural industry,” said McAdoo. “It seemed that everyone that I talked to had a different background, different interest and different specialties, which made me really excited to think about how we’d tackle these opportunities in the agriculture space.”
