agricultural-diplomacy

The chapter chronicles the symbolic and practical efforts of American and Soviet citizen diplomats, including a mountain summit climb and agricultural exchanges, to foster cooperation and peace amid Cold War tensions. It highlights the severe economic crisis faced by American farmers in the 1980s, linking it to high military spending, and presents Roswell Garst's pioneering concept of 'full-belly diplomacy' as a means to use agricultural surpluses to ease political hostilities. The narrative underscores how grassroots agricultural diplomacy and trade initiatives contributed to thawing Cold War relations during the mid-1950s under the optimistic 'spirit of Geneva.'

The chapter chronicles Roswell Garst's pioneering role in agricultural diplomacy during the Cold War, detailing his efforts to transfer American farming technology to the Soviet Union and foster cultural exchanges despite political tensions and events like the Hungarian revolt. It highlights Khrushchev's interest in American corn cultivation, the challenges posed by Cold War arms race dynamics, and the continuation of these citizen diplomacy efforts through John Chrystal's visits, culminating in substantive personal diplomacy between Garst and Khrushchev addressing both agricultural and political issues. The narrative underscores the complex interplay of agricultural innovation, political risk, and informal diplomacy in advancing Soviet-American relations.