Members in the news: McCluskey, Boyle, Lusk, Irwin, Jenzen, Adjemian, Belton, Reardon, Zepeda, Mintert, Barnaby, Langemeier, Thompson, Hurt, and Norton

Jill McCluskey, Washington State University Dr. Jill McCluskey Named to NAS Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources By: National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - November 17, 2017 Today the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) announced AAEA Past President Dr. Jill McCluskey has been named to the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Board is not only a major program for NAS, but members are responsible for overseeing studies on agriculture, forestry, fisheries and the use of natural resources. “Public investment in scientific research is imperative,” McCluskey says. “Input from a diverse group of experts on the Board can identify frontiers of science and emerging issues that impact these investments.” (Continued...) Read the entire press release on AAEA View all members of the Board: National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Kevin J. Boyle, Virginia Tech At EPA, a fight over numbers in water protection rule reveals a shift in ideology By: The Washington Post- October 5, 2017 The regulation broadened the authority of the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to cover wetlands adjacent to traditional navigable waters or interstate waters, as well as streams serving as tributaries to those waters. When officials first proposed it, they argued that roughly 117 million Americans relied on streams for clean drinking water that lacked clear protection, and they estimated that WOTUS would generate $339 million to $572 million in benefits annually. The article’s three authors — Virginia Tech’s Kevin J. Boyle, Yale University’s Matthew J. Kotchen and Arizona State University’s V. Kerry Smith — note that the Trump administration’s proposal to revoke the rule retains cost projections that are nearly identical to the ones the EPA offered in 2015. Those range between $158 million and $465 million annually, depending on the scenario. (Continued...) Read the entire article on The Washington Post Jayson Lusk, Purdue University Jill McCluskey, Washington State University Turkey farmers feeling squeeze By: Politico - November 20, 2017 Jayson Lusk, who heads the agricultural economics department at Purdue University, says that groups that oppose some food-distribution practices should be heard — but that positions should be open to critique, he writes in his report, “Evaluating the Policy Proposals of the Food Movement.” McCluskey named to ag board: Former Agricultural & Applied Economics Association President Jill McCluskey has been named to the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, the National Academy of Sciences announced. Members of the board are responsible for overseeing studies on agriculture, forestry, fisheries and the use of natural resources. (Continued...) Read the entire article on Politico Scott Irwin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Joseph Jenzen, Montana State University (Work cited) Mike Adjemian, USDA ERS (Work cited) Grain traders grapple with rise of Russian exports By: Financial Times- November 16, 2017 “Liquidity is king,” says Scott Irwin, agricultural economist at the University of Illinois, referring to traders’ attraction to contracts with high volumes that can help smooth out price movements. (Continued...) Read the entire article on Financial Times Ben Belton, Michigan State University Tom Reardon, Michigan State University New aquaculture economy emerged on rising fish demand By: Myanmar Times- November 20, 2017 The research on the economics of the rapid rise of aquaculture in Myanmar by members Ben Belton and Tom Reardon has made the Myanmar Times. The news coverage is based on the article in a leading field journal: Belton, B., A. Hein, K. Htoo, L. Seng Kham, A. Sandar Phyoe, T. Reardon. 2017. “The emerging quiet revolution in Myanmar’s aquaculture value chain,” Aquaculture, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2017.06.028 (Continued...) Read the entire article on Myanmar Times Lydia Zepeda, University of Wisconsin-Madison 2017 AAAS Fellows Recognized for Advancing Science By: AAAS - November 20, 2017 American Association for the Advancement of Science has awarded the distinction of Fellow to 396 of its members for 2017 in recognition of their contributions to science and technology, scientific leadership and extraordinary achievements across disciplines. (Continued...) Read the entire article on AAAS James Mintert, Purdue University Art Barnaby, Kansas State University Jayson Lusk, Purdue University Michael Langemeier, Purdue University Nathan Thompson, Purdue University Chris Hurt, Purdue University Purdue Top Farmer Conference Focused on Strategies for 2018 By: Hoosier Ag Today- November 17, 2017 “The Top Farmer conference is a program tailored to meet the needs of today’s farmers and to help them prepare for the future,” said James Mintert, center director and Purdue professor of agricultural economics. “This year’s program starts with a focus on changes in consumer demand for food and the opportunities and challenges that creates for producers. From there, participants will examine strategies they can use on their farm operations to manage their way through today’s challenging economic environment. The afternoon will start with Art Barnaby from Kansas State University, a principal developer of crop revenue insurance, challenging producers to rethink their risk management strategies before making their 2018 crop insurance decisions. The conference concludes with Purdue’s top crop production scientists discussing ways to reduce production costs without reducing yield potential.” (Continued...) Read the entire article on Hoosier Ag Today George Norton, Virginia Tech Researchers Use Insects to Help Reduce Hunger in Africa By: WVNS-TV - October 31, 2017 "As one of the poorest countries in the world with significant malnutrition, it's vital that we take steps to reduce the damage this pest is causing," said George Norton, the professor of agricultural and applied economics who oversaw the project.  "Letting the millet head miner continue to devastate farmers' yield will have detrimental effects not only for farmers, but for the country's economy and the health of all Nigerians." (Continued...) Read entire article on WVNS-TV

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 info@aaea.org or ascheetz@aaea.org  What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? We want to hear from you. Contact Jay Saunders via email, jsaunders@aaea.org.