Members in the News: Zhang, Irwin, Ortiz-Bobea, Chambers, Smith, Cash, Chen, Plastina, Lence, Vink, Khanna, Batabyal, and Koontz

Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Scott Irwin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign America's Farm Belt Looks Safe From Latest U.S.-China Spat By: Bloomberg - March 22, 2021 A new analysis from Iowa State University shows that the Asian country’s reported pig losses last year were larger than the official figures indicated. Scott Irwin, an agriculture economist at University of Illinois, said the report’s findings should translate into “large demand for both corn and soybean meal as the herd recovers for real into 2022.” (Continued...) Read more on: Bloomberg Ariel Ortiz-Bobea, Cornell University Robert Chambers, University of Maryland Climate change cut global agricultural productivity 21% since 1960s By: Bloomberg, The Guardian, Phsy.org, Sci Tech Daily, Science Blog, & Sky News - April 1, 2021 “Our study suggests climate and weather-related factors have already had a large impact on agricultural productivity,” says Robert Chambers, professor in Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) at UMD and an esteemed agricultural productivity researcher. “We used the model in this paper to estimate what total factor productivity patterns would have looked like in the absence of climate change.” Chambers and Ariel Ortiz-Bobea (lead author on this work from Cornell University and UMD AREC alum) have been pioneering new productivity calculations in agriculture to include weather data in a way that hasn’t historically been addressed, bringing new accuracy to these types of climate models. (Continued...) Read more on: Bloomberg, The Guardian, Phsy.org, Sci Tech Daily, Science Blog, & Sky News Martin Smith, Duke University That Salmon on Your Plate Might Have Been a Vegetarian By: The New York Times - March 24, 2021 Martin Smith, an environmental economist at Duke University who was not involved in the study, said the changes in aquaculture resulted partly from new regulations in some countries — rules in Norway, for instance, reduced the spread of sea lice in salmon farms — but mostly because the aquaculture industry had no reason to buy expensive wild fish feed once they could develop plant-based alternatives. (Continued...) Read more on: The New York Times Sean Cash, Tufts University Chain restaurants are required to disclose calorie counts on menus. In the age of DoorDash, that's not happening. By: The Counter - April 1, 2021 “It’s really hard to set out rules for a space that is evolving so fast,” said Sean Cash, an associate professor of agricultural economics at Tufts University who specializes in food labeling. “[The regulations] were focused on the experience of walking into a fast food restaurant, and ordering something off of the menu board.” (Continued...) Read more on: The Counter Joyce Chen, The Ohio State University Report exposes power gap at US universities By: Nature - March 25, 2021 Faculty members can use public salary reports to their advantage, says Joyce Chen, an economist at the Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus. Chen says she negotiated a 20% pay raise in 2017 after a check of salary data revealed that she wasn’t paid as much as male colleagues in her department. (Continued...) Read more on: Nature Alejandro Plastina, Iowa State University Sergio Lence, Iowa State University Ariel Ortiz-Bobea, Cornell University Unusual weather is behind some agricultural gains, but humans are accidentally taking credit By: The Academic Times - March 30, 2021 A team of economists found that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been underestimating the role that unusual weather plays in agricultural productivity, thus overestimating the effectiveness of some agricultural policies. (Continued...) Read more on: The Academic Times Nicholas Vink, University of Stellenbosch Days of wine by the barrel are drying up for South Africa’s farmers and vinters By: Business Maverick - April 5, 2021 According to Vink, in the past five years wine production has dropped from 1,200 million litres to 1,100 million litres, and grape production from 1.5 million tonnes in 2014 to 1.4 million tons. (Continued...) Read more on: Business Maverick Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Survey: Iowans willing to pay for cleaner lakes By: Iowa Capital Dispatch - April 6, 2021 Farmers and agents dissect recent rise in farmland values By: Iowa Farmer Today - April 3, 2021 Madhu Khanna, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Clean Power Plan Repeal Had Economics, Environmental Consequences By: Illinois Ag Connection & New Herald News - April 2, 2021 "Our research takes a closer look at what greenhouse gas emission reductions would have been under the CPP, and what it would have cost for consumers and generators of electricity from all sources, including fossil fuels and renewable fuels," says Madhu Khanna, distinguished professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at U of I and Sustainability Theme Leader in the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI). (Continued...) Read more on: Illinois Ag Connection & New Herald News  Amit Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology Could Rochester join other cities considering reparations or a universal basic income? By: Democrat & Chronicle - April 1, 2021 Amit Batabyal, an economist at Rochester Institute of Technology, said he believed Warren and other UBI or reparations advocates have good intentions. He questioned, though, both the economic and philosophical premises. (Continued...) Read more on: Democrat & Chronicle Stephen Koontz, Colorado State University Feed grain prices, weather will drive alfalfa markets in 2021 By: High Plains Journal - April 5, 2021 Koontz said farmers first have to understand how the soybean meal price, that protein component of the livestock diet, will pull alfalfa prices up along with it. (Continued...) Read more on: High Plains Journal

See other Member in the News items Know another AAEA Member who has made statewide, national, or international news? Send a link of the article to Jessica Weister at jweister@aaea.org. What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? Contact Allison Ware at aware@aaea.org. *Disclaimer - This email is to acknowledge citations of current AAEA members and/or their research in any public media channel. AAEA does not agree nor disagree with the views or attitudes of cited outside publications.

Member Blog: David Zilberman

Lessons from the Pandemic as We Approach a Post-COVID World

April 6, 2021 

 

In January, my nephew Judah informed me that he planned to get married this year and told me that he will time the wedding so I could participate. I arrived in Israel to join the wedding last week, after being vaccinated in late February. Israel is now in transition to a post-pandemic reality, as most of the adults (Jews and Arabs) are vaccinated. While people still wear face masks, and there is much caution, especially when it comes to children, businesses and restaurants are reopening. Young people are traveling all over, taking advantage of low prices in resorts like Cancun, and feeling revived. The wedding was amazing, in particular, dancing that lasted until 2 in the morning (this old soul left at 11 PM), and there was a liberating feeling among everyone. Yet when I flew from Israel to the US through Germany, and I saw that the reality in the EU is different. The pandemic is still spreading widely, vaccination rates are very low, compounded by concern about (relatively few) blood clots impeding the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. My concern is that Europe is clinging to extreme interpretations of the “precautionary principle” that aim to avoid any risky activity, are actually expanding suffering from the pandemic, and slowing the recovery that can be attained by vaccination. Arriving back in Berkeley, I realized that we need to be vigilant in mitigating against the spread of COVID, but progress in vaccination offers real hope from increased freedom and normalcy. COVID is a rare crisis that transformed our lives and our economies. Much of my recent research has focused on understanding these impacts. I’d like to share some of our findings:

1. You Snooze You Lose – Delayed Introduction of COVID Control is Very Costly

In a recent paper, Moshe Elitzur, Scott Kaplan, Zeljko Ivezic, and I developed a model that describes the dynamics of a pandemic and apply it to analyze the first stage of the spread of COVID using data from 89 nations and US states. We estimate that without any intervention, both the infection rate and reported death from the pandemic may grow exponentially for up to 36 days, and afterward we will see a decline in the growth rate, in essence, “flattening of the curve”. This decline may reflect a precaution on behalf of the population. The results show significant heterogeneity among countries and states reflecting differences in their policies and public response.

We find that government restrictions indeed slow the spread of the pandemic and estimate that one week delay of the first intervention almost triples the number of cases. We find that “stay-at-home” orders have a relatively low impact on prevention, perhaps because they were not the first policy intervention and, in most cases, other policies (e.g., requiring to wear masks, limiting the size of social gathering) were impactful in slowing the transmission of covid-19. This analysis suggests that once a government introduces restrictions, the public takes notice and modifies its behavior accordingly. Of course, the modification is constrained, the capacity of nursing homes and factory and manufacturing workers to adapt is limited without extra resources and smart policy interventions. My interpretation is that government leadership and trust in government are essential to controlling the pandemic. I share the perspective of Dr. Deborah Birx, that our president and administration mismanaged the crisis and hundreds of thousands of deaths were avoidable.

2. The Pandemic doesn’t represent a tradeoff between Economics and Health Costs – High Rate of Casualties are associated with high Economic Costs

Another article by Scott Kaplan, Jacob Lefler, and I of COVID-19 on the political economy demonstrates the diversity of responses among countries and states. The paper suggests that differences in climate, travel, demography, and genetics affected the spread and the deadliness of the pandemic. Regions with older populations, higher population density, and exposure to travel, as well as colder weather, suffered more cases and fatalities. Significant learning by doing in medical treatment is also evident, as the mortality rate has declined over time. But policy matters immensely. The figure below, based on 2020 data on deaths per million and percentage loss of GNP resulting from the pandemic, shows that for most countries there was no trade-off between saving lives and economic cost.

 

Countries that implemented strict policies initially (mostly in Asia), which saw the pandemic as war and rallied a unified front against it, had relatively smaller losses in both GNP and population. Other countries, especially in Europe and the US, which were slow to respond had lost more, both in terms of lives and treasure. While I’m very critical of the US response, Europe also needs to examine the reasons for its failures, both in terms of the high infection rates and more limited ability to develop a vaccine. Throughout the world, the burden of the pandemic wasn’t shared equally. Some of the most vulnerable populations suffered most and the gap between the children of the rich and the poor increased. Fortunately, the relief policies in the US and elsewhere softened the distributional blows of the pandemic and provide a better foundation for recovery.

3. Adaptation of the food sector to the pandemic – Some firms actually gained by pivoting to new strategies

COVID-19 and the responses to it shocked the food sector and a recent study by Tom Reardon, Amir Heiman, Liang Lu, Chandra S.R. Nuthalapati, Rob Vos, and Myself (Reardon et-al forthcoming) overviewed how supply chains, especially in developing countries, adapted to these shocks. The pandemic induced more rapid adoption of multiple innovations, especially in e-commerce and logistics. When consumers couldn’t come to stores or restaurants, those stores, and restaurants that could “come” to the consumers survived and even flourished. That led to increased reliance on the internet and e-marketing, and the emergence of creative delivery services, Many of the changes will last- we will continue to zoom and more intensive use of e-marketing in the food sector will continue globally.  The adaptation may require pivoting by multiple firms. For example, food distributors or processors that were mostly serving restaurants or other institutional buyers may pivot to sell to retailers or individuals and may partner with logistical enterprises, like ride-sharing companies that switch to or add food delivery to their existing services. Similarly, brick-and-mortar retailers, like Walmart in the US, invested in e-commerce capacity and expanded logistics to reach out and reclaim their “housebound” consumers. By aggregating the retail experience in this way (like bus versus individual car commuting), they are lowering search and transaction costs and even expanding certain markets. In China, online grocery shopping orders increased 400% in the first trimester of 2020 compared to 2019.

 

Such adaptation and changes have occurred throughout the supply chain. While some firms discovered new ways to reach new clientele and develop new products, many others were unable too late to adapt, some have gone or are likely to go out of business. These adjustment patterns depend on complex local characteristics, and even with similar challenges the opportunities to adapt vary in different contexts and different countries. One thing is clear – a lot of these changes will continue. Food supply chains throughout the world are more digitalized, the share of e-marketing in food is increasing, and a new class of intermediaries is emerging across the food product and service landscape. The good news is that, despite the gravity of this public health crisis, the agri-food systems are adapting to the pandemic and we have been able to avoid large-scale food shortages.

The pandemic offers many lessons – some specific but many that can inform our long-term progress

• The importance of international collaboration in tracing and mitigating pandemics and other disasters before they spread.
• The importance of supporting research and pursuing science-based policies, because in the end, they deliver.
• Investment in both physical and digital infrastructure has actually paid off. Furthermore, it’s crucial to invest in human capital to allow further innovation, adaptation, and resilience.
• The value of prevention and preparedness before a crisis occurs.
• The importance of trust in government and science and the challenge of government and science to earn this trust.
• The challenge of leadership to confront a crisis when it occurs and unify the nation rather than divide it. Good governance is rewarded. The prime minister of New Zealand was re-elected with a large margin while the US President was replaced.
• Our food system is quite resilient, and the private sector has the capacity to adapt to crisis situations.
• Many lose from crisis situations and efficient and inclusive safety nets are essential for a timely, equitable recovery and healthy society.
• Being vaccinated is liberating. The pandemic taught us to adapt to living in relative seclusion but traveling and visiting family and friends makes life so much better!

 Hopefully campus will return to full life life soon

 https://blogs.berkeley.edu/2021/04/06/lessons-from-the-pandemic-as-we-approach-a-post-covid-world/

References

Reardon, Thomas, Amir Heiman, Liang Lu, Chandra S.R. Nuthalapati, Rob Vos, David Zilberman. “Pivoting” by food industry firms to cope with COVID-19 in developing regions: e-commerce and “co-pivoting” delivery-intermediaries. Agricultural Economics. Forthcoming.

Call for Applications: Farm Foundation Agricultural Economics Fellowship

New for 2021, Farm Foundation is pleased to offer the opportunity for an outstanding early-career agricultural economist to join our team for one year as our first Agricultural Economics Fellow.

About the Fellowship

The Agricultural Economics Fellowship is a new program designed to nurture emerging leaders, and will provide a post-Ph.D. agricultural economist with a unique yearlong opportunity to be mentored and mentor, provide thought leadership through publications and speaking appearances, expand their network, manage high-visibility projects and elevate their stature and reputation in the food and agricultural sectors.

Expectations and Opportunities for the Agricultural Economics Fellow

• Participate and engage in Farm Foundation programs or events (e.g., attend or participate in relevant conferences)
• Produce several short written pieces (such as blog posts)
• Write at least one issue paper on sustainable agricultural production, which may cover topics including but not limited to animal or crop production, regenerative agriculture, climate and/or carbon-related issues such as knowledge gaps related to carbon sequestration and GHG mitigation options
• Attend the Farm Foundation Round Table meetings in June 2021 (virtual) and January 2022 (tentatively planned for Delray Beach, Florida)
• Network and be mentored by staff in USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, with at least six meetings anticipated
• Mentor and meet with participants in the Farm Foundation and USDA Economic Research Service Ag Scholars program on a recurring basis
• Mentor and meet with other participants in Farm Foundation’s suite of next generation programs as time and opportunities allow

Program Term and Stipend

The Agricultural Economics Fellowship is a 12-month, part-time engagement from May 2021 through April 2022. The selected Ag Econ Fellow will earn a $35,000 stipend, payable based upon meeting agreed-upon deliverables, as well as a $5,000 allowance for travel, supplies and technology support. All work, with the exception of potential travel, can be completed remotely; relocation is not required.

Who Should Apply

Qualified applicants must have earned a Ph.D. in agricultural economics or a related field and be practicing in the field, either as a faculty member or in another public or private role. We are especially interested in applicants with research interest or experience in sustainable agricultural production and trade.

Application Process

Applications are due April 9, 2021 and can be submitted at the link below. Applicants can self-nominate or be nominated by a colleague or mentor. Applications must include:

•  Name of nominator (if applicable)
• Applicant name, institution, title/rank, e-mail and phone
• Name, title and e-mail for one academic reference
• CV and cover letter submitted as attachments, detailing the applicant’s commitment and availability to participate in the program, research interest and experience in sustainable ag production and trade, and a proposal for how the applicant might shape the program (e.g., topics or approach for blog posts, ideas for workshops or other program activities)

Learn more: https://www.farmfoundation.org/agricultural-economics-fellow/

USDA Webinar - The Opioid Epidemic: A Geography in Two Phases

Date: Thursday, April 8, 2021

Time: 1:00 PM ET
Duration: 1 hour
Speaker: David McGranahan

The United States is experiencing a drug overdose mortality epidemic marked by the introduction and spread of opioids across rural and urban areas. The epidemic’s effect on adults of prime working age (ages 25-54) has been substantial, with the mortality from drug overdoses more than tripling between 1999 and 2018—from 11.3 to 36.5 deaths per 100,000 people.

During this webinar, ERS Senior Economist and Acting Chief of the Rural Economy Branch David McGranahan will present The Opioid Epidemic: A Geography in Two Phases. This report identifies two distinct phases of the epidemic: a prescription opioid phase in the 2000s and an illicit opioid phase in the 2010s.

Join the webinar here: https://globalmeetwebinar.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1450151&tp_key=be9db13366

Members in the News: Ricker-Gilbert, Westhoff, Deller, Batabyal, Jansen, Lubben, Walters, Dall’erba, Roe, Jaenicke, et al.

 Jacob Ricker-Gilbert, Purdue University

New problems arise for crop storage as planet gets warmer

By: ABC News & The Washington Post - March 26, 2021

“When people are getting production off just an acre or two of land, their margin for error is very low,” said Jake Ricker-Gilbert, a Purdue University agricultural economist who has worked in several African nations including Malawi and Tanzania.

(Continued...)
Read more on: ABC News & The Washington Post

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Patrick Westhoff, University of Missouri

U.S. farm income projected above pre-pandemic levels: study

By: AgriNews - March 29, 2021

“The COVID-19 pandemic upended agricultural markets, contributing to a dismal outlook for the farm economy in the spring and summer of 2020,” said Patrick Westhoff in a March 17 webinar. Westhoff is FAPRI director and the Howard Cowden professor of agricultural and applied economics at the university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

(Continued...)
Read more on: AgriNews

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Steven Deller, University of Wisconsin

• There are no easy answers on canceling student debt
  By: Vox - March 25, 2021
• Organic Valley Launches Loan Program For Clean Energy Projects On Farms
  By: Wisconsin Public Radio - March 24, 2021

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Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

Admissions to elite U.S. colleges: The case for a lottery

By: Rochester Business Journal - March 30, 2021

It is now late March and there is a considerable amount of anxiety among high school students, particularly those applying to elite colleges, about their admission prospects. To comprehend why the process for selecting applicants at such institutions is in serious need of reform, let us begin by going back to 2016.

(Continued...)
Read more on: Rochester Business Journal

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Jim Jansen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Nebraska ag land values increase

By: High Plains Journal & Nebraska City News-Press - March 31, 2021

“During periods of economic uncertainty, monitoring Nebraska farm and ranch real estate remains important to understanding how financial forces are impacting agricultural land markets across the state,” said Jim Jansen, an extension educator who co-authored the survey and report with Jeffrey Stokes, a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics.

(Continued...)
Read more on: High Plains Journal & Nebraska City News-Press

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Bradley Lubben, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Cory Walters, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Nebraska farmers expected to plant more soybeans, less corn this year

By: The Neighbor & Lincoln Journal Star - March 31, 2021

Brad Lubben, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln agricultural economist, said he was a bit surprised by the forecast, as were the grain markets, which caused a spike in futures prices for both corn and soybeans on Wednesday.

Cory Walters, an associate professor of agricultural economics at UNL, said that after a couple of rough years, the decision for many farmers may simply come down to how much investment they have to make in each crop.

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Neighbor & Lincoln Journal Star

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Sandy Dall'erba, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

“Climate change is real;” Researchers warn extreme weather events could impact Illinois agriculture

By: WCIA - March 31, 2021

“We totally live in a global world,” Dall’erba said. “The global supply chain is truly international. So, as a result, events that are taking place way outside of your own country might, to some extent, affect your own economy.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: WCIA

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Brian Roe, The Ohio State University

Pa. lawmakers want to extend shelf life of milk

By: WKBN - March 31, 2021

Brian Roe, one of the Ohio State researchers, said in a press release that date labeling doesn’t tell you when food will spoil. Milk is one of the most wanted food products in the U.S., Roe said.

(Continued...)
Read more on: WKBN

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Brian Roe, The Ohio State University
Edward Jaenicke, Pennsylvania State University

You waste more than $1,000 of food a year. Chew on that

By: Daily News - March 25, 2021

“The consumer isn’t presented a bill every time they throw some food away, making it more difficult for consumers to link actions to personal monetary losses,” noted Brian Roe, a professor of agricultural, environmental and development economics at Ohio State University.

Edward Jaenicke, a professor of agricultural economics at Penn State, told me his research concluded that the average U.S. household tosses more than $1,800 worth of food into the trash each year — a figure not far off from Conrad’s $3.50-a-day estimate, which translates to nearly $1,300 annually.

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

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Vincent Smith, Montana State University

Farmers face complex political, economic landscape in 2021

By: Williston Herald Media - March 29, 2021

“Elections matter, votes matter, and they matter for agricultural policy,” said MSU professor of agricultural economics Dr. Vincent Smith. “The first, most obvious thing is, compared to the Trump administration, there will be a very different approach to trade.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Williston Herald Media

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Luis Pena-Levano, University of Maryland
Gulcan Onel, University of Florida
Skyler Simnitt, USDA-Economic Research Service
Choices Magazine

How Florida left farmworkers out of its COVID-19 pandemic response

By: Ocala Star Banner, The Florida Times-Union, Naples Daily News, News Chief, Palm Beach Daily News, Herald Tribune, The Palm Beach Post, The Ledger, Pensacola News Journal, Daily Commercial, Panama City News Herald, NWF Daily News, TC Palm, Florida Today, News-Press, & Tallahassee Democrat - March 30, 2021

Consumers “have to worry about” farmworkers, said Luis Peña-Lévano, an assistant professor of agribusiness and resource economics at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. “Because they are labor, they represent one of the key factors” of successful production.

“A common perception is that a typical crop worker should be in a good state of fitness due to the physical demands of their farm jobs. However, this perception does not appear to hold," according to an article in Choices, a publication of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association. 

(Continued...)
Read more on: Ocala Star Banner, The Florida Times-Union, Naples Daily News, News Chief, Palm Beach Daily News, Herald Tribune, The Palm Beach Post, The Ledger, Pensacola News Journal, Daily Commercial, Panama City News Herald, NWF Daily News, TC Palm, Florida Today, News-Press, & Tallahassee Democrat

See other Member in the News items Know another AAEA Member who has made statewide, national, or international news? Send a link of the article to Jessica Weister at jweister@aaea.org. What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? Contact Allison Ware at aware@aaea.org. *Disclaimer - This email is to acknowledge citations of current AAEA members and/or their research in any public media channel. AAEA does not agree nor disagree with the views or attitudes of cited outside publications.

Members in the News: Sumner, Glauber, Deller, Lusk, Tonsor, Thilmany, Van Tassell, Jansen, Goeringer, Bozic, Roe, Jaenicke, Zhang, et al.

 Daniel Sumner, University of California, Davis

Why New York Legalizing Recreational Cannabis Won't Kill the Illicit Market

By: Forbes - March 19, 2021

California’s legal market generates about $4 billion in annual sales. Dan Sumner, an agricultural economics professor at UC Davis and director of the school’s Agricultural Issues Center, estimates that the illegal market, which composes selling in the state and across the U.S., does about $10 billion in annual sales.

(Continued...)
Read more on: Forbes

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Joseph Glauber, IFPRI

• U.S. suspends tariffs on UK in goodwill gesture
  By: Agri-Pulse - March 4, 2021
• Stimulus aid could go to broadband
  By: Agri-Pulse - March 5, 2021

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Steven Deller, University of Wisconsin

Why some inflation measurements don’t include food and energy prices

By: Marketplace - March 18, 2021

So how is inflation even measured? Well, “there’s as many measures of inflation as there are economists studying it,” said Steven Deller, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But the inflation rates we hear about most often do include health care, energy and food. Economists will sometimes look at a number called “core” inflation that takes out food and energy prices because they can fluctuate quite a bit.

(Continued...)
Read more on: Marketplace

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Jayson Lusk, Purdue University

Diversification: What Comes After Corn and Soybeans?

By: Farm Journal - March 22, 2021

In an hour-long presentation all about the why and how to diversify farm income on March 11 (video and full slides are available here), Lusk advocates for starting small and growing from there.

(Continued...)
Read more on: Farm Journal

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Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University
Jayson Lusk, Purdue University

More Shoppers Are Buying Meat Alternatives, But Some Are Still Concerned About Taste And Texture

By: Harvest Public Media & WVIK - March 24, 2021

“Somebody who still is open to consuming meat products, so beef, pork, chicken and the like, but maybe not with every meal,” says Glynn Tonsor, an agricultural economics professor at Kansas State University.

Grocery store sales of refrigerated meat alternatives have increased more than 100% and frozen products 40% in May 2020 compared to the same time in 2019, says Jayson Lusk, an agricultural economist at Purdue University. 

(Continued...)
Read more on: Harvest Public Media & WVIK

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Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University

COVID-19 expanded the direct-sales market

By: Western Farmer-Stockman - March 1, 2021

In 2020, many producers saw a 30% to 50% increase in their direct food sales over 2019. Farmers that offer pick-your-own experiences recorded a 20% increase in customer activity. Dawn Thilmany, a Colorado State University ag economics professor and co-director of the Regional Economics Development Institute, says the main challenge is the increased unpredictability of the direct market.

(Continued...)
Read more on: Western Farmer-Stockham

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Larry Van Tassell, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

IANR establishes new Center for Agricultural Profitability

By: Nebraska Farmer - March 23, 2021

“The complex problems faced by agriculture today cannot be solved by isolated disciplines,” says Larry Van Tassell, UNL agriculture economics department head. “A holistic, systems approach is needed to address the profitability of agriculture. While feasibility and profitability of agriculture innovations have always been important, the increasing complexity of the agribusiness environment requires a holistic approach to problems. The center will unite faculty from various disciplines to engage with faculty from the department of agriculture economics.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Nebraska Farmer

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Jim Jansen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Nebraska Ag Land Values Increase for 2nd Consecutive Year

By: AgFax - March 24, 2021

“During periods of economic uncertainty, monitoring Nebraska farm and ranch real estate remains important to understanding how financial forces are impacting agricultural land markets across the state,” said Jim Jansen, an extension educator who co-authored the survey and report with Jeffrey Stokes, a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics.

(Continued...)
Read more on: AgFax

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Paul Goeringer, University of Maryland

• Judge orders MDE to regulate ammonia emissions
  By: The Delmarva Farmer - March 19, 2021
• Farm or Solar Farm? A Fight Over Land Use Roils Montgomery County
  By: DCist - February 17, 2021

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Marin Bozic, University of Minnesota

What to know about FMMOs and PPDs

By: Dairy Stream - March 17, 2021

As requested from our listeners, Dairy Stream dove into the topic of Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs) and Producer Price Differentials (PPDs). Mike Austin talks with Dr. Marin Bozic, assistant professor in dairy foods marketing economics at the University of Minnesota, about the usefulness of FMMOs, the causes of negative PPDs and how to solve issues related to pricing in the future. Thank you to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this podcast.  

(Continued...)
Read more on: Dairy Stream

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Brian Roe, The Ohio State University
Edward Jaenicke, Pennsylvania State University

You waste more than $1,000 of food a year. Chew on that

By: Los Angeles Times - March 23, 2021

“The consumer isn’t presented a bill every time they throw some food away, making it more difficult for consumers to link actions to personal monetary losses,” noted Brian Roe, a professor of agricultural, environmental and development economics at Ohio State University.

Edward Jaenicke, a professor of agricultural economics at Penn State, told me his research concluded that the average U.S. household tosses more than $1,800 worth of food into the trash each year — a figure not far off from Conrad’s $3.50-a-day estimate, which translates to nearly $1,300 annually.

(Continued...)
Read more on: Los Angeles Times

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Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University

• Monday (3/22) Farm News
  By: KICD - March 25, 2021
• Farmland values rise in every county in Northwest Iowa
  By: Sioux City Journal - March 21, 2021

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Vincent Smith, Montana State University

EGT plans for MonDak, economic recovery's impact on agriculture topics for final MonDak Ag Research Summit webinar

By: Williston Herald Media - March 18, 2021

Giving the keynote speech at the seminar is Montana State University Ag Economic expert Dr. Vincent Smith, an internationally recognized expert on agriculture and international trade policy. Following him will be EGT Elevator Manager Gordon Holt, who will discuss EGT’s plans for the MonDak region.

(Continued...)
Read more on: Williston Herald Media

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Paul Mitchell, University of Wisconsin

Our agriculture economy: Looking back and at 2021

By: Kenosha News - March 20, 2021

Paul Mitchell, UW-Madison ag economist and director of the Renk Agribusiness Institute reviewed 2020’s impact on farm income, which could have been a sad story were it not for government programs like the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) that supported farmers while simultaneously ensuring farm products reached food banks.

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Read more on: Kenosha News

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Patrick Westhoff, University of Missouri

Agricultural markets still face uncertainty

By: Herald-Whig - March 21, 2021

"The COVID-19 pandemic upended agricultural markets, contributing to a dismal outlook for the farm economy in the spring and summer of 2020," said Patrick Westhoff, FAPRI director and Howard Cowden Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

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Read more on: Herald-Whig

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Craig Gundersen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The pandemic recession has pushed a further 9.8 million Americans into food insecurity

By: Lake County News - March 21, 2021

To project what has happened to food insecurity under the pandemic, colleagues at Feeding America, the nationwide network of food banks, and I used a model underlying the nonprofit’s Map the Meal Gap study. In particular, it looks at how changes in poverty and unemployment at a local level influenced food insecurity.

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Read more on: Lake County News

See other Member in the News items Know another AAEA Member who has made statewide, national, or international news? Send a link of the article to Jessica Weister at jweister@aaea.org. What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? Contact Allison Ware at aware@aaea.org. *Disclaimer - This email is to acknowledge citations of current AAEA members and/or their research in any public media channel. AAEA does not agree nor disagree with the views or attitudes of cited outside publications.

Members in the News: Smith, Belasco, Fortenbery, Rejesus, Wang, Tack, Westhoff, Tonsor, Schroeder, Lusk, MacLachlan, Chenarides, Hertel, et al.

Vincent Smith, Montana State University Eric Belasco, Montana State University Opinion: Bill Gates and Warren Buffett should thank American taxpayers for their profitable farmland investments By: Market Watch - March 10, 2021 Bill Gates is now the largest owner of farmland in the U.S. having made substantial investments in at least 19 states throughout the country. He has apparently followed the advice of another wealthy investor, Warren Buffett, who in a February 24, 2014 letter to investors described farmland as an investment that has “no downside and potentially substantial upside.” (Continued...) Read more on: Market Watch T. Randall Fortenbery, Washington State University U.S. white wheat growers cash in as China snaps up supplies By: Reuters - March 12, 2021 “It’s a growing middle class, and their interest (is) in diversifying their diet,” said Randy Fortenbery, an agricultural economist at Washington State University. (Continued...) Read more on: Reuters Roderick Rejesus, North Carolina State University Ruixue Wang, North Carolina State University Jesse Tack, Kansas State University Even Rice Bred for Heat Loses Yields at High Temps By: Futurity, ScienMag, Science Daily, & Seed Today - March 15, 2021 A study of the relationship between temperature and yields of various rice varieties, based on 50 years of weather and rice-yield data from farms in the Philippines, suggests that warming temperatures negatively affect rice yields. (Continued...) Read more on: Futurity, ScienMag, Science Daily, & Seed Today Patrick Westhoff, University of Missouri Ag Market Outlook projects lower farm income in 2021 By: Farm Progress, Beef Magazine, & The Grand Island Independent - March 12, 2021 “The COVID-19 pandemic upended agricultural markets, contributing to a dismal outlook for the farm economy in the spring and summer of 2020,” said Patrick Westhoff, FAPRI director and Howard Cowden Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). (Continued...) Read more on: Farm Progress, Beef Magazine, & The Grand Island Independent  Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University Ted Schroeder, Kansas State University Jayson Lusk, Purdue University Study reveals consumers favor beef over plant-based proteins By: AgDaily - March 16, 2021 Those are among the key findings released by K-State agricultural economists Glynn Tonsor and Ted Schroeder in the study, Impact of New Plant-Based Protein Alternatives on U.S. Beef Demand. The study was co-authored by Jayson Lusk, a Distinguished Professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University. (Continued...) Read more on: AgDaily Matthew MacLachlan, USDA-Economic Research Service Lauren Chenarides, Arizona State University Grocery prices soar the most in a decade in 2020, how does 2021 look? By: News Chant - March 13, 2021 “We saw that food prices increased on average 3.4% according to the Bureau of Labor statistics,” mentioned Matt MacLachlan, USDA Economic Research Service Economist.   “There are a lot of costs that are involved in what drives those prices up and down,” mentioned Lauren Chenarides, assistant professor at ASU’s Morrison School of Agri-business in the W.P. Carey School of Business. (Continued...) Read more on: News Chant Thomas Hertel, Purdue University Opinion: Growing Food and Protecting Nature Don’t Have to Conflict By: Modern Farmer - March 11, 2021 Growing food in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way—while also producing enough of it—is among the most important challenges facing the US and the world today. (Continued...) Read more on: Modern Farmer Daniel Scheitrum, University of Arizona Tomato Week 2021 Provides Industry Partners With The Latest Data on Tomatoes By: Perishable News - March 16, 2021 To conclude the webinar series, Daniel Scheitrum from the University of Arizona, presented on the recently published Impact of COVID-19 on U.S. Fresh Tomato Markets (arcgis.com) storymap. Scheitrum focused on the one-year mark since the COVID-19 pandemic began, highlighting how the fresh tomato industry was impacted by the lockdowns and market changes that occurred throughout 2020.  (Continued...) Read more on: Perishable News Harvey James, University of Missouri Michelle Segovia, University of Missouri How Unconscious Biases Can Drive Foodborne Illness Outbreaks By: Lab Manager - March 12, 2021 "Unethical behavior isn't always intentional; conflicts of interest and other unconscious motivations can lead people to behave in ways that help outbreaks emerge and spread," said Harvey James, associate director of the division of applied social sciences and a professor of agricultural and applied economics in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). James and Michelle Segovia, an assistant professor of agricultural and applied economics in CAFNR, were eager to apply the science of behavioral ethics to the field of food safety. Behavioral ethics examines why people make ethical and unethical decisions; to see how those choices might contribute to a foodborne disease outbreak, the researchers turned to the case of Jensen Farms. (Continued...) Read more on: Lab Manager Eric Belasco, Montana State University Short On Cattle, Long On Losses: Easterday Had An Alleged Habit Of Big-Money Trading By: NW News Network - March 3, 2021 Eric Belasco, a professor and ag economist at Montana State University, encourages farmers and ranchers to manage their risk by trading commodities, but warns: “The whole market is tricky. There’s a fine line between using the futures and options market to minimize risk, and then using it to speculate.”   (Continued...) Read more on: NW News Network Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University Colorado ranchers already had beef with Jared Polis. Then came “MeatOut Day.” By: The Colorado Sun - March 10, 2021 “It almost feels like food has become a front line for the politicization of deeper issues,” said Dawn Thilmany McFadden, a professor of agriculture and resource economics at Colorado State University and co-director of CSU’s Regional Economic Development Institute. “Everything that’s feeling polarized about the world is now emanating through food values and food discussions.” (Continued...) Read more on: The Colorado Sun Jim Jansen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln State's agricultural land value increases for second year By: NTV News - March 15, 2021 “During periods of economic uncertainty, monitoring Nebraska farm and ranch real estate remains important to understanding how financial forces are impacting agricultural land markets across the state,” said Jim Jansen, an extension educator who co-authored the survey and report with Jeffrey Stokes, a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics. (Continued...) Read more on: NTV News Jayson Lusk, Purdue University Clinics wait to vaccinate farmworkers: ‘Our hands are tied’ By: Hawaii Tribune-Herald - March 19, 2021 “Agricultural workers are important for the security of our food supply,” Lusk said, noting that supermarket prices went up last year when COVID-19 outbreaks shut down meatpacking plants. “Making sure we have the people available to plant and harvest will make sure our grocery stores aren’t empty or our food prices don’t rise.” (Continued...) Read more on: Hawaii Tribune-Herald David Anderson, Texas A&M University ‘We’re going to lose everything’: Texas egg farm still waiting on federal aid after winter storm By: The Dallas Morning News - March 12, 2021 Dr. David Anderson, a professor and economist in the agricultural economics department at Texas A&M University, said livestock and fruits and vegetables were hit the hardest. Freeze damage wiped out much of the state’s citrus, which could take several years to restore, and many ranchers lost calves to the cold. (Continued...) Read more on: The Dallas Morning News Brady Brewer, Purdue University Farmers; 'Good outlook for 2021 season' By: WTHI-TV 10 - March 12, 2021 "At the end of 2020 the USDA increased their farm income projections," said Brewer. "So we're actually above the 10 year average in terms of USDA, the farm income for the national forecast." (Continued...) Read more on: WTHI-TV 10 Gary Schnitkey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign New option to crop insurance farmers need to consider By: KTTN News - March 10, 2021 Crop insurance decisions will be critical this year. Gary Schnitkey, University of Illinois agricultural economics professor, said 93% of Illinois farmers took some form of Revenue Protection (RP) insurance last year. (Continued...) Read more on: KTTN News Tiffany Dowell Lasmet, Texas A&M University Deadline approaching to RSVP for Hale/Swisher Crops Conference By: My Plain View - March 12, 2021 Texas Landowner Liability and Drift Management will be presented from 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. by Tiffany Lashmet, professor and extension specialist in agriculture law for the AgriLife Extension office. (Continued...) Read more on: My Plain View Robert Johansson, American Sugar Alliance Jayson Lusk, Purdue University Former top-level D.C. agricultural economists to speak at James C. Snyder Memorial event By: WBIW - March 16, 2021 Ted McKinney, Matt Erickson, Rob Johansson, and Joe Balagtas, all former government economists who recently served in Washington, D.C., will participate in a panel discussion at the 2021 James C. Snyder Memorial event, presented by the Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics. Jayson Lusk, distinguished professor and department head of agricultural economics at Purdue, will lead the panel. (Continued...) Read more on: WBIW

See other Member in the News items

Know another AAEA Member who has made statewide, national, or international news? Send a link of the article to Jessica Weister at jweister@aaea.org.

What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? Contact Allison Ware at aware@aaea.org.

*Disclaimer - This email is to acknowledge citations of current AAEA members and/or their research in any public media channel. AAEA does not agree nor disagree with the views or attitudes of cited outside publications.