Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ent kinds of scientists and their respective roles—and motivations for
participating—in agroecological partnerships.
California agroecological partnership leaders seeking scientific expert-
ise immediately confront a scientific hierarchy shaped by institutional
affiliation and function (figure 4.2). The most important fissure in this
hierarchy is between research and extension activities. Research scien-
tists have more prestige than extension scientists, and publicly funded
scientists (supported by the University of California, and ultimately tax-
payers) have more prestige than privately funded pest-control advisors.
The University of California, like all land-grant universities, configures
professional incentives and peer evaluations to clearly define roles for
those who do research and those who conduct extension. Research sci-
entists conduct basic research full time and sit atop this pyramid. 18
Immediately below them, Extension Specialists conduct basic research
and some specialized applied research on a crop or a particular set of
crops. The Extension Specialist position was originally created to link
basic research with the applied needs of Farm Advisors and growers,
although they now function essentially as researchers. 19
Number:
700
(535
FTE)
UC
Agricultural
Experiment
Station
LGU
research
scientists
Research
Science activities
Extension
UC
Cooperative
Extension
149
Specialists
257
Farm Advisors
Extension
Science
activities
Pest Control Advisors
2000 state
license
holders
(in agriculture)
Affiliated or “chemical” PCAs
(~80%)
Independent
PCAs (~10%)
In-house,
farm manager PCAs (~10%)
Figure 4.2
The agricultural science hierarchy in California.
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