A team of four bright post graduate Agricultural Economics students, sponsored by Case IH and New Holland, did South Africa proud at the recent International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) Conference held in Christchurch, New Zealand.
IFAMA hosts an annual conference that attracts multiple agribusiness professionals from across the world to share common goals of improving and growing sustainable global food systems. This is the biggest event of its kind and the only conference to deliver an international student case study competition exclusively focused on food and agribusiness management.
The South African team consisted of Heinrich Kotze, Ryno Schoeman, Jan Daniel Strydom and Danie Naudé, all studying for their Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State. They were accompanied by their academic advisor, Prof. Henry Jordaan, also from UFS.
At UFS these four students also tutor various subjects for Agricultural Economics modules. As members of the IFAMA group, Heinrich Kotze and Ryno Schoeman have represented the university at previous IFAMA events in 2022. They participated in the student case study competition where Heinrich was part of the team that won the competition.
This year, IFAMA again hosted its renown student case study competition to test participants’ skill and acumen in agribusiness management. It is designed to challenge students’ analytical problem-solving, presentation and team working skills, giving them the experience and knowledge to tackle high-level challenges in the future.
South African students have an enviable record in this competition, with another former UFS student, Michelle Marais, also standing out as a winning team member in 2022 .
Teams get four hours to prepare a presentation to solve a unique problem that is given at the conference. The teams must present their proposal to a panel of judges consisting of industry professionals and academics.
This year’s case study explored the challenges faced by small farmers in Honduras, including poverty and low crop yields. The question arose whether an agrochemical company should work with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Honduras to help these farmers increase their production. The aim was to develop a framework that this company could use to assess the viability of the collaboration with the specific NGO to ensure the project would be financially and operationally sustainable.
The team approached the problem as follows: based on existing knowledge, they proposed establishing a new NGO, inspired by similar initiatives by organisations like Grain SA. The proposed solutions emphasised political, social and economic factors, including education and production sustainability.
The case study provided an opportunity to solve complex problems under pressure, promote critical thinking and encourage innovative solutions. In addition, the experience helped build strong relationships between team members from different countries.
According to the team, this event offered them, as aspiring professionals, an unmatched opportunity and exposure to the worldwide agricultural industry. Topics like technology, sustainability and climate change gave them a glimpse of the world’s latest technologies being implemented in first world countries.
They also noted the problems being addressed in first world countries are significantly different to the problems in Southern Africa. Developing countries, for example, struggle with poverty and hunger, while developed countries contend with sustainability and efficiency, and how to reduce waste.
The team expressed their sincere gratitude for being afforded the opportunity to learn and develop abroad. “Overall, it was a memorable experience for all of us,” they agreed.
Jacques Taylor, managing director of CNH Industrial Southern Africa, the holding company of Case IH and New Holland, said he was delighted by the good showing of our local students on the international stage. “We consider it a privilege to help promising students to expand their horizons in this manner. As a company we are committed to promoting and fostering the development of knowledge and skills for the benefit of agriculture in the entire region,” he added.
For more information please contact:
Chimene de Villiers
Head of Marketing and Communication
chimene.devilliers@cnhind.com
079 797 8676
’n Span van vier knap nagraadse Landbou-ekonomie-studente, geborg deur Case IH en New Holland, het Suid-Afrika trots gemaak by die onlangse International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA)-konferensie wat in Christchurch, Nieu-Seeland gehou is.
IFAMA bied jaarliks ‘n konferensie aan wat verskeie landbou beroepslui van regoor die wêreld lok om gemeenskaplike doelwitte rakend die verbetering en groei van volhoubare globale voedselstelsels te deel. Dit is die grootste geleentheid van sy soort en die enigste konferensie om ‘n internasionale gevallestudiekompetisie vir studente aan te bied wat uitsluitlik op voedsel- en landboubesigheidsbestuur fokus.
Die Suid-Afrikaanse span het bestaan uit Heinrich Kotze, Ryno Schoeman, Jan Daniel Strydom en Danie Naudé, wat almal studeer vir hul meestersgraad in Landbou-ekonomie aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat. Hulle is vergesel deur hul akademiese raadgewer, prof. Henry Jordaan, ook van UV.
Dié vier studente bied ook onderrig in verskeie vakke vir Landbou-ekonomie-modules aan by UV. As lede van die IFAMA-groep het Heinrich Kotze en Ryno Schoeman die universiteit by AGBIZ in 2022 verteenwoordig. Hulle het aan die gevallestudiekompetisie deelgeneem, waar Heinrich deel was van die span wat die kompetisie gewen het.
Vanjaar het IFAMA weer sy bekende gevallestudiekompetisie aangebied om deelnemers se vaardigheid en insig in landboubesigheidsbestuur te toets. Dit is ontwerp om studente se analitiese probleemoplossings-, aanbiedings- en spanwerkvaardighede te toets, en om hulle die ervaring en kennis te gee om hoëvlak-uitdagings in die toekoms aan te pak.
Suid-Afrikaanse studente het ‘n benydenswaardige rekord in hierdie kompetisie, met nog ‘n oud-UV-student, Michelle Marais, wat ook in 2022 as lid van die wenspan uitgestaan het.
Spanne kry vier ure om ‘n aanbieding voor te berei om ‘n unieke probleem op te los wat by die konferensie gegee word. Die spanne moet hul voorstel aan ‘n paneel beoordelaars voorlê wat bestaan uit beroepslui en akademici.
Vanjaar se gevallestudie het die uitdagings ondersoek wat kleinboere in Honduras in die gesig staar, insluitend armoede en lae oesopbrengste. Die vraag het ontstaan of ‘n landbouchemiese maatskappy met ‘n nie-regeringsorganisasie (NRO) in Honduras moet saamwerk om hierdie boere te help om hul produksie te verhoog. Die doel was om ‘n raamwerk te ontwikkel wat hierdie maatskappy kan gebruik om die lewensvatbaarheid van die samewerking met die spesifieke NRO te evalueer, om te verseker dat die projek finansieel en operasioneel volhoubaar sal wees.
Die span het die probleem soos volg benader: op grond van bestaande kennis het hulle voorgestel om ‘n nuwe NRO te stig, geïnspireer deur soortgelyke inisiatiewe deur organisasies soos Graan SA. Die voorgestelde oplossings het klem gelê op politieke, sosiale en ekonomiese faktore, insluitend onderwys- en produksievolhoubaarheid.
Die gevallestudie het ‘n geleentheid gebied om komplekse probleme onder druk op te los, kritiese denke te bevorder en innoverende oplossings aan te moedig. Daarbenewens het die ervaring gehelp om sterk verhoudings tussen spanlede van verskillende lande te bou.
Volgens die span het hierdie geleentheid vir hulle, as aspirant beroepslui, ‘n ongeëwenaarde geleentheid en blootstelling aan die wêreldwye landboubedryf gebied. Onderwerpe soos tegnologie, volhoubaarheid en klimaatsverandering het hulle ‘n blik gegee op die wêreld se nuutste tegnologie wat in eerstewêreldlande geïmplementeer word.
Hulle het ook opgemerk dat die probleme wat in eerstewêreldlande aangespreek word, aansienlik verskil van die probleme in Suider-Afrika. Ontwikkelende lande sukkel byvoorbeeld met armoede en honger, terwyl ontwikkelde lande te kampe het met volhoubaarheid en doeltreffendheid, en hoe om vermorsing te verminder.
Jacques Taylor, besturende direkteur van CNH Industrial in Suider-Afrika, die moedermaatskappy van Case IH en New Holland, het gesê hy is verheug oor die goeie vertoning van ons plaaslike studente in die buiteland. “Ons beskou dit as ‘n voorreg om belowende studente te help om hul horisonne op dié manier te verbreed. As maatskappy is ons daartoe verbind om die ontwikkeling van kennis en vaardighede tot voordeel van die landbou in die hele streek te bevorder,” het hy bygevoeg.
Vir meer inligting kontak asseblief:
Chimene de Villiers
Hoof van Bemarking en Kommunikasie
chimene.devilliers@cnhind.com
079 797 8676