By Alana Coleman

     Logan Moss, a senior agricultural leadership major from Rosston, Arkansas, is working to improve diversity and inclusion within the agricultural industry.

     “I hope that eventually youth organizations, high school agriculture programs, colleges of agriculture and the agricultural industry grow to be inclusive enough that the demographics within them mirror the populations that they serve,” Moss said.

     Moss, a first-generation college student, describes diversity in agriculture as “creating an environment within the agricultural industry that is conducive to the inclusion of people from backgrounds that are not typically immersed in the industry.”

     Moss became inspired to get involved in the movement for diversity in agriculture when he joined FFA in 9th grade. His high school agriculture teacher, Milton Lowe, was one of only three minority agriculture teachers in Arkansas.

     “As I gained experience in agricultural education, I thought that it was normal to have an African American agriculture teacher and a majority BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) FFA Chapter,” Moss said.

     Based on a report filed in 2019, the Food and Environment Reporting Network found that 70% of FFA members and nearly all its professional staff are white, while around 15% are Hispanic and only 4% are Black.

      “I did not realize that the flagship youth development organization for agricultural education was not the most diverse group of students until I attended the National FFA Convention in 2017 and was hard pressed to find a chapter from across the nation that was as diverse as ours,” Moss said. “It was in this moment that I knew that I must make a change within the industry.”

     Moss has taken on multiple roles to address the issues of low diversity within the agricultural industry. One of these roles consisted of Moss serving on Arkansas Farm Bureau's Diversity in Agriculture conference panel.

Moss, along with AECT alumni Stephanie Bennett, represented the University of Arkansas FFA Alumni and Supporters in a discussion about increasing the popularity of agriculture among youth.

     4-H and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) were also represented.

     “It was an absolute honor to be asked to participate in this panel discussion with some of the best agriculture students from Arkansas,” Moss said. “We talked about our personal experiences within our various organizations... and some of the challenges and triumphs we have had recruiting and retaining diverse members.”

     Moss also serves as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) ambassador for Bumpers College. He works to recruit and retain exceptional students within the college, specifically students who are not stereotypical agriculture students. This includes races or ethnicities, students from different areas of Arkansas and genders that are typically underrepresented.

     “I have really enjoyed working as the DEI ambassador,” Moss said. “One of the greatest feelings is working with students who are from a diverse background and seeing the excitement they feel when they realize there is a person dedicated to helping people similar to them.”

     Additionally, Moss is currently working with Jennifer Cook, Arkansas FFA Foundation executive director and AECT alum, to increase the diversity among FFA members and agricultural educators in the state.

     Moss is also part of the honors program at the University of Arkansas. His undergraduate thesis is titled “Blazing the Trail for the Future: BIPOC Students Experiences with Colleges of Agriculture.”

     Moss’s study is focused on investigating diverse students’ choice of agriculture major, as well as the factors that directed them to make their decision. Moss found that the three main factors influencing these students’ choice of major included mentorship, school-based agricultural education and youth-based organizations such as FFA and 4-H.

     “I also found several barriers within agriculture majors that BIPOC students face at a higher level than other agriculture students,” Moss said. “Things like stereotyping, lack of minority representation and financial barriers are some things that my sample faced that made it more difficult to major in agriculture.”

     Moss stated that he loves sharing his personal experiences and the reasons he fell in love with agriculture. He is also very passionate about sharing why he thinks DEI is important with others. “DEI is atopic that has boomed in both research and discussion within the past couple years,” Moss said. “To make our industry equitable, we must continue with this level of research and discovery.”

     Moss said one of the best quotes that he has ever heard to describe diversity and inclusion is: “Diversity is inviting someone to a dance, inclusion is inviting them to dance.”

     “Many people don’t understand the concepts of diversity and inclusion, or think that they apply to them,” Moss said. “To create an inclusive and equitable industry, everyone must buy in to the topic of diversity and inclusion and do their part to create a welcoming environment for each person who chooses to enter the industry."

Editor's note: Logan is now an alumni of the AECT Department. He graduated in December 2021 with his bachelor's degree in agricultural leadership. Logan has accepted a full-time supervisory position with Tyson Foods and a part-time role as the southern Arkansas regional recruiter for the Bumpers College. He is also considering pursing a graduate degree in agricultural business. We are so proud of you Logan! Keep up the good work!