HLA Fall 2026 Seminar: Andrew Ofstehage

Andrew Ofstehage
Program Coordinator, CALS International Programs
North Carolina State University

Dr. Andrew Ofstehage will discuss his new book, "Welcome to Soylandia: Transnational Farmers in the Brazilian Cerrado" with a focus on how transnational farmers learn how to grow soy in a different environment, a different economy, and a different cultural world. Special attention will be paid to how these farmers balance agronomic concerns of soil, seeds, and pests, with business concerns about investment, farm workers, and government regulation. Transnational agriculture in this context depends on flexibility in terms of work, crops, and land that allow the farm owner to detach from typical farming concerns. This flexibility allows the farm owner to focus on investor relations, government regulations, and other business concerns. Yet, matters of land and soil bring farmers' attention back to the material life of farming as they adapt to differences in Brazil and create narratives of care and improvement.