American farmer to receive IICA “Leaders of Rurality” award for innovative initiatives linking education and agriculture
San Jose, 31 August 2021 (IICA). Phillip “Chip” Councell, a farmer from the United States, will receive the “Soul of Rurality” award, bestowed on Leaders of Rurality in the Americas by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
The award is part of an initiative by the specialized agency in rural and agricultural development to recognize the men and women who are leaving their mark and making a difference in the rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Councell will receive the award for his innovative initiatives that work to raise awareness about the importance of agriculture and how it relates to food security and environmental protection.
In addition to receiving the “Soul of Rurality” award, the Leaders of Rurality recognized by IICA will be invited to participate in several of the agency’s advisory bodies.
“This award pays tribute to those who are playing a unique dual role: guaranteeing food and nutritional security by producing under all circumstances and protecting the biodiversity of the planet. It will also emphasize their capacity to be positive role models in the rural areas of the region”, stated Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA, in presenting the initiative.
Within the framework of the program, IICA strives to ensure that the recognition assists the awardees to create ties with official, civil society and private sector organizations to gain support for their causes.
“These are people whose influence can be seen in the food that we eat—wherever it may end up—and in each plot of agricultural land and in the communities where farmers and their families live. These are men and women who are leaving their mark and are the soul of rurality because they produce, plant, harvest, create, innovate, and unite”, reflected IICA’s Director General.
“They embody silent leadership, which is something we should spotlight and recognize. Above all, they are role models, because they transform, overcome adversity, and inspire”, he added.
IICA is working alongside its 34 Delegations in the Americas to select the #LeadersofRurality.
“Chip” Councell: Farming as the identity of this eastern United States family
In 1690, two brothers emigrated from England to the territory known today as the United States and that at the time was part of the vast British empire. One of the brothers did not survive the long trek across the Atlantic, but the other arrived and settled in the area of Chesapeake Bay on the East coast of the American continent to farm the land.
Over 300 years later, the story continues: ten generations of the family have been farmers and Phillip “Chip” Councell is a successful agricultural producer whose farm—located in Talbot country, Maryland—is just four miles from where his ancestor set down roots and began to labor as a farmer in the 17th century.
Enamored with rural life, Chip is well aware of the role played by farmers in feeding a growing global population: “I believe I was put on this earth to be a farmer. I love what I do and I love doing it with my family. My father is about to turn 90 and still works the farm. Sometimes there are four generations working elbow-to-elbow—there’s my wife, Jo Ann; my children, Melissa and Jason; my son- and daughter-in-law; and even my five small grandchildren like to help. That’s special—there aren’t many industries or jobs where the family can work together”.
Councell tells the story of growing up on his father’s farm 60 miles from the city of Washington, where they grew grains and livestock.
“I remember there was always a lot of work. When I was a boy, we used to plow the entire farm. My father was one of the first to adopt direct planting in the 70s. This system, which is used on practically every farm in Maryland today, uses previous crop residue and disturbs the soil as little as possible, thereby reducing erosion and contributing to improved water quality and productivity”.
On his just less than 2,000-acre (800 hectares) farm, Councell grows corn, wheat, soybean and vegetables. He is the sitting president of Maizall, an association of maize farmers and exporters in the United States, Brazil and Argentina, who are working together to share expertise and information and to address trade barriers.
“The association was created in 2013 and I joined the executive committee in 2016. While we produce in very different countries and are competitors, we face the same problems that have to do with trade restrictions around the world, and so we work together”.
On the Councell family farm, there is a facility dedicated to agritourism, where visitors can partake in different activities to learn about how food is made. Three thousand school children visit the farm each year and the family tells them about what they do and how they do it.
The relationship between agriculture and food security is most important. “The population in this country takes for granted that it will have food produced here, but many other countries are not that fortunate and depend on us”, says Chip.
Councell also feels great responsibility for protecting the environment: “As farmers, we have always protected our resources based on the information and technology available at the time. We’re always looking to improve in this sense. My family has been here for over 300 years and we want the land to continue producing for centuries to come. I always say that after my family, there’s nothing more important than conserving the soil and water on my farm”.
Chip is convinced that the gap separating the urban and rural populations must be reduced. “Farmers like to talk amongst ourselves, but we should probably do a better job of talking to the consumers. Social media has helped a lot with communication, but it is also a way for false and malicious information to spread very quickly”.
How to tackle the challenges facing agriculture of the future? How to guarantee food and nutrition security to a growing global population that is demanding increasingly healthy foods? The only way, says Councell, is for farmers to have unbridled access to technology and innovation.
“Otherwise, there is no way to increase our yield while using fewer natural resources, which is what we’re being asked to do. The world is constantly changing and each one of us must do our part. We cannot blame agriculture for climate change. We have our responsibility, of course, just like any other production activity, but we must ensure that the diagnoses and transformations are guided by science. Leaving them in the hands of politicians is very dangerous”, warns Chip.
“Farming is hard no matter where and how you do it. The profit margins are very thin and you’re always worried about the climate. I’ve travelled the world and can say that farmers are basically the same everywhere. We start each new year with nothing more than hope for a good crop. Those of us with access to pesticide- and herbicide-resistant seeds are fortunate. Only technology and innovation will allow us to build a better agriculture to face the challenges of the future”.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
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