Students in the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program have capped off their course in true AALP style - with a whirlwind tour of the Washington, DC political scene and meetings with innovative farmers in Costa Rica.

When the 19-month program wraps up at the end of March, the 30 enrolled students will have had a snapshot of the agricultural landscape in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Maine and Quebec. As well, they will have spent time in a number of Ontario municipalities, including Toronto, where they had the eye-opening experience of visiting a shelter for the homeless and the country’s largest foodbank.

"The program has really opened up the world for me and for most of the participants," student Karen Daynard told The AgriNews, shortly after returning from 10 days in Costa Rica. "It brings you out of strictly an agricultural focus and puts our industry in the perspective of a larger picture."

The program, in operation since 1984, sets out to build on strengths already present in those who have demonstrated some form of leadership in their respective communities. The international tour, which comes toward the end of each session, is designed to show students how other societies operate, both inside and outside of the agriculture industry. Daynard, a graduate of the University of Guelph’s animal behaviour program and resident of the Guelph area, describes the Costa Rican experience as "a lesson in contrast.

"The whole country is very rich and very poor. We saw very forward-thinking, proactive farmers and we also saw other very subsistence farmers. There were some wonderful conservation activities taking place while there were other people who couldn’t care less about the environment."

Daynard says one of the first things the group noticed about the country was the dramatic climate changes, depending on the altitude of a particular area.

"That also means there were very different types of agriculture in different parts of the country," she says.

Students spent much of the time touring farms which specialized in Costa Rica’s three main crops - coffee, bananas and sugar cane. Daynard says there were a number of surprises along the way.

"One thing that really impressed us with most of the farms is that farmers there are incredibly good marketers of their product. That surprised a lot of us.

"It’s a mistake we make," Daynard continues, "that since it’s in Central America it’s more of a Third World. It’s not that at all. The people are very progressive."

She says the group was able to see how farmers in another country have learned how to survive in a highly competitive world marketplace. At a coffee operation, for example, the producers talked about the realities of trying to compete with "countries like Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia." Daynard says that rather than going head-to-head with countries which are already well known for their coffee, Costa Rican producers have found a different way to compete.

"They’re trying to market themselves as growing the highest quality coffee in the world. Coffee farms put a lot of effort into choosing only the best beans. While we were there we learned how to taste test coffee for the best roast."

A dairy processing plant, which Daynard says would "be on par" with Canadian operations, was also part of the Costa Rican visit. "They’re just waiting for tariffs to come down (in Canada) so they can get access to our market," says Daynard, admitting that students were surprised at how advanced and sophisticated the dairy industry is in Costa Rica.

Daynard says the trip made her realize how much Ontario’s agricultural industry could benefit by embracing some of the philosophies espoused by farmers in Costa Rica. Also, she says, the country could provide "other opportunities for trade" that haven’t yet been explored.

Just ahead of the trip to Central America students spent two-and-a-half days in Washington learning about U.S. politics. Daynard says one of the highlights of the visit was meeting with students in the New York LEAD group, New York State’s equivalent to AALP.

The two groups heard presentations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and its effects on U.S., Mexican and Canadian trade relationships. As well students met several lobbyists whose work involves lobbying the government on agricultural issues.

Daynard says the international tour was an ideal way to wind down the nearly two-year program. "This trip was the highlight. It tied together a lot of what we’ve learned over the past two years.

"The trip really made me think about how much there is to learn in the world if we just open our eyes to other countries and their experiences."

Daynard says the course overall has helped in her personal development as a leader. The program, she says, "sort of solidified the type of leader I’ve always been.

"I don’t want to be the type that is president of a company. But I believe there is a huge need for people that are leaders in a quieter way - leading through their acts and values and words."

Daynard says the AALP is currently recruiting students for the next AALP course. A detailed outline of how the program operates can be found on the AALP website at www.aalp.on.ca.