IARD
International Agriculture and Rural Development – Facilitating sustainable agriculture and social development through training agriculture students and professors in India
The International Agriculture and Rural Development (IARD) is designed for students who are interested in contributing to the unique and interdisciplinary issues associated with food systems and rural development in emerging nations. IARD allows gaining meaningful, on-site experience by participating in projects and research in India.
Since 2002, CSFD in collaboration with state agriculture universities identifies promising students who are keen to innovate and aspire to contribute to the growth of the agriculture sector. CSFD has collaborated with 15 state agriculture universities in India and has trained more than 750 professionals in agriculture and rural development.
IARD is a unique exchange program between India and the United States which gives students an in-depth insight into agriculture and rural development practices both at national and global perspectives. Students gain exposure both through classroom lectures and exposure visits to agriculture and allied sectors.
Students acquire valuable insight and skills while working within rural communities to:
- address poverty and hunger through innovations in agriculture
- increase food security
- advance science and policy related to sustainable development
- and contribute to the economic development of emerging economies by strengthening strategies and public policies
IARD 402 online courses and 602 experiential learning focusing on Indian agriculture and allied sectors.
IARD 402 course acquaints students with international agriculture and rural development in developing nations. The lectures and discussions establish a global and regional context for sustainable agricultural development and focus on specific development challenges in India.
The first part of the IARD course (IARD 402) includes 14 lectures (2 credits) offered to students from the Indian state agriculture universities
IARD-602 – Experiential learning program
The IARD 602 course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to understand and analyze agricultural development practices in India. The course curriculum includes a two-week field-study trip, individual reflection papers of the trip, group discussions, written projects and oral presentations dealing with problems in food, agriculture, post-harvest and livestock production in the context of social and economic conditions of India in the following thematic areas
Visits for AG should impart exposure to the team on agriculture and allied sectors. They should be able understand latest advances in farming system on crop, reduces inputs, improve biodiversity, water management, fisheries, livestock production, farm machination, use of IT, role of FPOs etc. IARD team would be interested to interact with progressive farmers, seek knowledge on sustainable agriculture, visit agri based companies to get exposure and understand the supply chain in agriculture. The team would also be interested in getting hands on experience in farm practices, grass root exposure and farmer markets etc.Impact stories
“All set to pitch for an entrepreneurship project in poultry”Dharani Priya
Dharani Priya, from Coimbatore is a research scholar at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Though agricultural sciences happened by accident she has realized a profound love for the subject. She has been part of the IARD program in 2016. While sharing her experiences she said how post IARD program, she could recognize a new person in her with boosted confidence and enormous amount of value added knowledge. She said her experience not just benefitted her but also motivated her juniors at college to perform better at academics with a desire to be part of the upcoming IARD programs in India.
The countless interactions with various stake holders, faculty and students has inspired many research interests in her. Today she is pursuing Phd at TNAU in extension education in agriculture focusing on ICTs. She said post IARD she has developed interest in entrepreneurship, something she could not imagine doing before. She plans on approaching the agri-business incubator in TNAU and pitch for an entrepreneurship project related to poultry next year. She expressed that the interest in poultry business was merged during IARD visit.
“Steps towards sustainable development”Aswath
Aswath’s deep passion towards agriculture from a young age motivated him to join BSc Agriculture at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University where he went on to pursue MSc in Agricultural Economics.
He was overwhelmed when he was chosen for IARD course as he strongly felt that he would gain extensive understanding on the know how’s of the agricultural world. He says that IARD has helped him to understand the ways and means of communicating with different stake holders related to agri–rural development. The multiple interactions have made him a better communicator in agriculture related issues.
Aswath is currently working in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh with ITC Agri-Business as an Agricultural Resource Officer, working closely with farmer produce and processing, ensuring maximum profitability to the farmers and he is facilitating support for Agri–Rural Entrepreneurs in Andhra Pradesh. He has been able to reach over 500 farmers in a period of 4 months and is responsible for their improved economic status. Along with his job role, he is involved actively in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of ITC where he contributes towards rural community development, afforestation, cattle breeding, agri-business development, infrastructure for educational institutions and the installation of solar street lamps and RO purifiers. Aswath is one among the few dedicated youngsters working towards creating sustainable development in agriculture. The IARD program has become a catalyst for the inspiring work he does today.
“IARD – bridge between theory and practice”Daisy Sarmah
25 year old Daisy Sarmah was IARD (2015 batch) from Assam Agricultural University. Now she is a PHD scholar working as an Assistant Professor at the Assam Downtown University teaching the students on food processing. Reflecting on her IARD experiences, she confidently says that she has not only gained a deeper insights to agricultural practices but she is disseminating the knowledge gained through IARD to her students and inspiring them towards agriculture, modern technology and development. Prior to IARD she felt quite challenged to relate the theory with practice. She opined that IARD program has helped her to make clear connections with class room theories to ground level agricultural and life sciences practices.
She hails from a lower-middle class family in Guwahati, grew up seeing her grandparents work on the fields in Assam and wanted to pursue agricultural sciences as a career. She did her bachelors and Masters from Assam Agricultural University. Daisy is currently shaping over 80 young minds through her teaching and she is determined to shape more through her learnings from IARD.
“Shaped my vision towards modern agriculture and development”Naveen Kumar
Naveen Kumar from Tamilnadu Agriculture University (TNAU), felt like “a frog in the well” before IARD. Hailing from a poor farmer family, he had to work very hard to finish post-graduation. He always felt challenged with English language due to regional medium education. Despite opting for food sciences as specialization, he felt clueless about his future and his contribution to his community.
He mentions that IARD’s exposure visits to industries, business incubators, and value addition projects has helped him to understand the enormous opportunities and multiple academic horizons in the field of agriculture and allied sectors. He said that the program has helped him to identify his key strengths and meticulously overcome his weaknesses.
Naveen, today is a Horticulture Officer under training, for the Government of Karnataka. He says while paying fee for his MSc course was itself a challenge, getting sponsorship for participating in IARD was something he never imagined or would not have been possible with his economic status. He says with the acquired experience from IARD will be put to use in field for the betterment of the farming community in Karnataka.
