Agricultural Education and Fair Trade - A Path to Rural Development?

High level representatives, among them the Ambassador of Costa Rica to Germany, exchanged views on the role of education and potential of fair trade in rural areas of developing countries. One of the main issues debated at the Dinner Dialogue on 1 July 2004 in Berlin with Dr. José Zaglul, Rector of Earth University in Costa Rica, was the question of the contribution of agricultural education and fair trade to rural development in Latin America and the Caribbean. "The four pillars of Earth University's educational model, namely social commitment, environmental awareness, entrepreneurism, and the development of human values are fundamental to educating future leaders in agriculture and sustainable management of the resources in the humid tropics" stated Dr. José Zaglul. In the ensuing discussion, the potential contribution, but also the limitations of fair trade to sustainable development in rural areas were lively debated.

The Dinner Dialogue took place on 1 July 2004 in Berlin and was organised in co-operation with the Earth University.