Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Call for Papers: Special Issue on Latin American Agricultural Economics

Submission Deadline: September 15, 2026

The International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) and the editors of Agricultural Economics invite submissions for a special issue dedicated to Latin America. This initiative follows recent board meetings identifying the region as having low representation in the journal. The goal is to foster deeper engagement with regional researchers and increase the global visibility of their contributions to the field.

Scope and Inclusivity:

We seek papers that align with the broad scope of Agricultural Economics: "from consumption and nutrition to land use and the environment, at every scale of analysis from households to markets and the macro-economy. Applicable methodologies include econometric estimation and statistical hypothesis testing, optimization and simulation models, descriptive reviews and policy analyses. We particularly encourage submission of empirical work that can be replicated and tested by others."

We welcome submissions from scholars globally and we specifically encourage the participation of researchers based in Latin America. We also strongly encourage submissions from early-career researchers, including PhD students and postdoctoral scholars from the region who are currently studying or working abroad.

Regional Workshop:

To facilitate scholarly exchange, authors of accepted papers or papers invited for resubmission will be invited to a workshop in the region in early 2027. The workshop will provide in-depth feedback from the journal's co-editors and IAAE board members. To support participation, the IAAE will fund travel and accommodation for one author per accepted paper from the region. PhD and postdoctoral students from Latin America currently working abroad will also be considered for travel support to facilitate their ongoing connection to the regional research community. Expressions of interest to hold the workshop from universities in the region are welcomed.

Submission Process:

The submission portal opens on March 15, 2026. Authors should submit manuscripts via the Agricultural Economics online submission portal and select the "Latin America Special Issue" option.

Review Process:

Submissions will undergo expedited peer review, with initial decisions expected within two months.

For questions regarding the scope or the workshop, please contact the Lead Guest Editor, Nelson Villoria (nvilloria@ksu.edu).

2026 Extension Competition for Graduate Students

The AAEA Extension Competition for Graduate Students provides an opportunity to develop and/or get feedback on programs that communicate research and practical information to Extension (usually non-economist) audiences. Entries can be based upon graduate student research for a thesis, dissertation or other academic work. The competition is sponsored by the Extension and Graduate Student Sections. Applications due by Friday, May 8, 2026.

Who’s Eligible?

Graduate students currently engaged in topics related to agricultural economics, agribusiness, natural resources, and/or community economic development, as well as those who graduated from such programs in Spring 2026 or later.

Participants must identify and work with a mentor with experience in outreach or extension activities.

The Application:

Applications should be addressed to Will Maples at will.maples@msstate.edu and must include:

1.            Student’s name, university, department, address and contact information.

2.            Title of the extension program to be delivered.

3.            A summary of the proposed extension program. This should include project outcomes, target audience, delivery plans, communication methods and activities planned for distributing the information to the public such as fact sheets, reports, web sites, spreadsheets, and presentations (4 page maximum). If the applicant was part of a team, the role of the applicant within the team must be made clear. If the proposed project is building upon the success of other extension programs, the summary should include a description of the previous program and the innovative approach of this proposed project.

4.            An educational popular press article limited to 500 words and no more than two graphics (tables, charts, etc.). This should be an addendum to your submission packet. Examples include: https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2023/01/us-price-inflation-focus-on-farm- prices.html and https://southernagtoday.org

5.            A detailed evaluation plan. This should be an addendum to your submission packet. You may choose to develop your project using a logic model (which is not required). You can see more information on logic models.

6.            A profile of the applicant’s background and research (1 page maximum).

7.            The mentor’s name and description of the mentor’s role in the project.

Finalists at AAEA

Finalists will be selected to make a 15-minute presentation at the AAEA meeting in Kansas, MO on Sunday July 26, 2026, to a panel of judges, who will then ask 5 minutes of questions. The competition will begin at 8AM CDT. Selection of the finalists will be based on the material submitted and the criteria listed above. Finalists will be notified by June 5, 2026. The top three finalists are expected to make presentations during an AAEA Extension track organized symposium if present in Kansas City, MO. Date and time during conference to be determined.

Awards

Cash awards will be given to those judged to be the top three graduate students in this competition. Award funding is provided by the AAEA Extension Section through membership dues and via support provided by sponsors. Awards are:

·         First Place: $1,000 and a plaque

·         Second Place: $300 and a certificate

·         Third Place: $200 and a certificate

·         Other finalists receive finalist certificates.

The top 3 competitors selected will be recognized at the AAEA Awards ceremony. All finalists will be provided tickets to the Extension Luncheon during the AAEA annual meetings.

 

Submission Deadline: Midnight EDT on Friday, May 8, 2026. Email entries to Will Maples, Competition Committee Chair at will.maples@msstate.edu. Finalists will be notified by June 5, 2026.

Monday, March 16, 2026

Members in the News: March 16, 2026

 Sandro Steinbach, North Dakota State University

Are Tariffs Raising Your Farm Input Costs?

By: Iowa Soybean Association – March 5, 2026

"Tariffs have certainly impacted selling prices, but what about the price of inputs? Dr. Sandro Steinbach explains how the cost of production has changed for farmers and what we can expect for exports."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Iowa Soybean Association


Sandro Steinbach, North Dakota State University
Shawn Arita,
North Dakota State University

NDSU Study Shows Difficult Situation For Dry Bean Growers

By: AG Week – March 3, 2026

“Northarvest Bean Growers Association requested the $30,000 study called “Trade, Input Costs and Net Revenue Snapshot for Dry Beans." The report was prepared by Sandro Steinbach and Shawn Arita, both NDSU Agriculture Risk Policy directors.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: AG Week


Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

It Is Not Too Late to Turn This Around': Minnesota Farmers Demand Trade Fix As $50 Billion in Losses Push US Agriculture Toward Widespread Collapse

By: MSN Money – March 6, 2026

“Those include the costs for fertilizers, costs for chemicals, for machinery products, for machinery inputs that have run up in inflation over the past few years.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: MSN Money


William Ridley, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Illinois Families May Not See Direct Tariff Refunds, Expert Warns

By: WCIA – March 3, 2026

“While the Supreme Court ruling is significant, the logistics of returning funds are far from straightforward. I think one of the reasons the Supreme Court didn’t rule about the refunds is that it’s just such a mess trying to figure out how to pass the money back to the people it’s owed to.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: WCIA


Shadi Atallah, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Management Practices Can Enhance Soil Microbiome Functions in Plant Defense

By: Ag Update – March 5, 2026

“As economists, we typically survey farmers and ask whether they would adopt a practice given a hypothetical outcome. Here we had the opportunity to link the whole sequences from beliefs to practices to lab-measured microbiome outcomes to economic consequences. This is very novel and exciting."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Ag Update


Amitrajeet  Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

Do Elections Shape India’s Rural Infrastructure Programmes?

By: Basis Point – March 12, 2026

”Even programmes designed to be rules-based and insulated from political discretion can still bend subtly to electoral incentives. New research on India’s rural roads programme suggests that elections shape more than how much infrastructure gets built. They also influence when projects are approved and which ones move up the queue.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Basis Point


Rabail Chandio , Iowa State University

  • Iowa Farmland Sale Hits Record $32,000 Per Acre in Sioux County
    By: Successful Farming – December 3, 2025
  • How has farmland leasing changed?
    By: Illinois Farmer Today – November 18, 2026
  • As Farmers Face Falling Incomes, Are Land Prices Next?
    By: Iowa Public Radio – October 9, 2025

Alexis Villacis, The Ohio State University

“‘I Took Two Bites And Had to Spit it out’: Candy Makers Are Phasing Out Real Cocoa in Chocolate

By: The Guardian – March 11, 2026

“The volatile cocoa market is, in fact, a major factor in chocolate pricing. Since 2020, the climate crisis has led to a cycle of droughts and floods in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, which, combined, produce 70% of the world’s chocolate. This led to diseases that destroyed the cocoa plantations and decimated the cocoa supply.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Guardian


David Ortega, Michigan State University

  • Can Price Caps Bring Down Grocery Bills?
    By: Marketplace – March 12, 2026
  • How the Iran War and Surging Oil Prices Are Affecting Consumers at the Gas Pump and Beyond
    By: AP News – March 11, 2026
  • The Price of Eggs is Down More Than 40% Since 2025
    By: Marketplace – March 11, 2206
  • War in the Middle East is Pushing Up Agricultural Commodities’ Prices
    By: Marketplace – March 9, 2026

David Ortega, Michigan State University
Zachariah Rutledge,
Michigan State University

ICE Raids Are Reported To Have 'Chilling Effects' On Farmers — And It Will Impact Groceries

By: Huff Post – March 9, 2026

“It depends on where you live… Currently, we’re seeing anecdotal reports of localized disruptions, but not broad, national‑level indicators that would suggest a systemic impact on food availability or prices.”

“Even if the data — or what’s showing up on shelves — hasn’t caught up everywhere, some workers are staying home rather than risking getting swept up in a crackdown.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Huff Post


Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnical State University
David Ortega,
Michigan State University

Oil and Fertilizer Prices Are Climbing. Your Grocery Bill May Follow

By: Fortune – March 13, 2026

“Energy is one of the most critical inputs for the food supply chain, which means the impacts of the war could show up on your grocery receipt. There’s a very strong correlation between the movement of energy prices and the movement of food prices. We’ve seen oil top $100 a gallon before and that happened to coincide with significant food price inflation.”

“However, prices aren’t expected to increase just yet. It could take time to see any impact in the short-term. “There’s a lag between when the shock happens and when you see the full effect on your food prices. It could be the better part of a full year before we’re seeing the full impact show up at the grocery store.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Fortune


Gregory  Ibendahl, Kansas State University

Kansas State Warns Fuel Prices May Climb

By: Iowa Ag Connection – March 6, 2026

“Based on the latest oil price increase, gasoline prices could reach $3.10 to $3.16 per gallon within about a month. Gasoline prices often follow oil price movements quickly, sometimes within the following week. However, the effects may continue for several weeks when uncertainty in oil-producing regions remains high.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Iowa Ag Connection

 


Craig Carpenter, Michigan State University

The Lasting Impacts of Now-Illegal Housing Discrimination

By: WZZM13 – February 26, 2026

“The term was actually originally popularized in the 1960s by civil rights activists, housing rights activists, when they were fighting against behavior, discriminatory behavior by banks and lenders. But more recently, it's become associated with behavior by the federal government in the 1930s."

(Continued...)
Read more on: WZZM13


Jaime Luke, Michigan State University

Will Coloradans See Higher Beef Prices if JBS Workers Go on Strike?

By: Canon City Daily Record – March 13, 2026

“When we think about this plant closing, that changes the location of where cattle are processed, but it doesn’t change that we have such a low number. A reduction in processing capacity helps other facilities run more volume.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Canon City Daily Record



Do you have international, national, state or local news to share? Submit your
'Members in the News' now!

 

Monday, March 9, 2026

Members in the News: March 9, 2026

 Zach Rutledge, Michigan State University

  • Survey Finds Raids Impacted California Farm Production
    By: The Sun Gazette – February 25, 2026
  • California Survey Links Enforcement Fears To Farm Labor Losses
    By: Fresh Plaza – March 6, 2026

Ian Sheldon, The Ohio State University

  • Trump Blamed For Imminent ‘Widespread Collapse’ of US Farming
    By: AlterNet.org - February 6, 2026
  • Farmers Squeezed By Trump Tariffs Press Lawmakers For Action
    By: The Hill - February 6, 2025
  • Supreme Court Tariff Ruling Clouds the Future of U.S. Trade Deals
    By: Brownfield - February 23, 2026

Gabriel Lade, The Ohio State University

Data centers Bring Money and Pushback

By: Spectrum News – February 19, 2026

“A lot of cities negotiate pretty large upfront cash payments in lieu of future property taxes. So instead of collecting taxes over 15 years, they get money right away to build community facilities or bolster school funding,”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Spectrum News


Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

  • China And the United States: What Can We Learn From Each Other?
    By: Rochester Business Journal – February 27, 2026
  • Clean Water’s True Price in Rural India
    By: Basis Point – March 4, 2026

Shadi Atallah, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

When Sustainable Foods Come With Unexpected Environmental Costs

By: Discover – Februay 7, 2026

“A lot of the work on sustainable agriculture focuses on what the government can do to support farmers to adopt something, and that is good for the transition. But we cannot rely on government support for the longer term, which is where the importance of consumer studies comes into play.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Discover


Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnical State University

Wait-and-See Mode': The Conflict in Iran's Potential Impacts on Global Food Production

By: KSBY – March 3, 2026

"I want to stress, we certainly have not seen food price impacts yet, but that's what I'd say we'd start to see in the next say one to three months. At this point, it's too early to see an impact, but that he and other industry experts are monitoring potential impacts down the line.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: KSBY


Jada Thompson, University of Arkansas

  • Egg Price Drop Benefits Consumers, Threatens Farmers’ Livelihoods
    By: WishTV – February 20 2026
  • Egg prices Collapse As Once-Empty Shop Shelves Now Overstuffed
    By: Farm Progress – February 20, 2026
  • Egg Prices Have Plummeted. That’s Great News For Consumers — And a Crisis For Farmers
    By: CNN – February 20, 2026

James Mitchel, University of Arkansas

Winter Storm Deals $30M+ Blow to Arkansas Farmers

By: Swift Times – February 25, 2026

“Cattle prices are historically high, so losses reflect higher values… the figures do not represent unusually large numbers of cattle deaths.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Swift Times


Brian Coffey, Kansas State University
Glynn Tonsor,
Kansas State University

Beef Prices Continue to Increase With Consumer Demand

By: Ag Update – March 2, 2026

“Microeconomic assessment shows consumer preferences have become a powerful driver of market outcomes, even during a period of historically tight supplies. Since 2019, the number of beef cows in the U.S. has gotten smaller and smaller. That’s been front and center when we think about the cattle and beef supply chain.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Ag Update


Leah Palm-Forster, University of Delaware

Saltwater Intrusion Has Environmental, Financial Ramifications

By: Cape Gazette – March 4, 2025

“Between 2011 and 2017, an estimated 20,000 acres of farmland were converted to marsh across Delmarva, causing between $39 million and $109 million in losses… The question is, when are things going to be bad enough to change behavior. Prevention and the mitigation of risk need to be done in advance because waiting to respond won’t be effective.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Cape Gazette


Michael Langemeier, Purdue University

Indiana Farm Income Projected to Decline in 2026 After 2025 Rebound

By: Agrinews – March 4, 2026

“Cash farm receipts increased $232 million from 2024 and 2025, but are expected to decline by $1,033 million in 2026. The large drop in crop receipts in 2025 was offset by a large increase in livestock receipts and government payments.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Agrinews



Do you have international, national, state or local news to share? Submit your
'Members in the News' now!