Members in the News: Gundersen, Sumner, Tyner, Wailes, Coat, Glauber, Joshi, Nefstead, and Grant

Craig Gundersen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign New Thinking About Food Stamps in Wisconsin By: Wall Street Journal - March 8, 2018 Wisconsin is relying on an unusual argument to tie new work requirements to food stamps: It says it needs the workers. The governor is expected to sign legislation in the coming weeks that would require people with school-age children who receive food stamps to work 30 hours a week. (Continued...) Read more on: Wall Street Journal SNAP is successful because it treats recipients with dignity and autonomy Written by Craig Gundersen: The Hill - March 16, 2018 The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) is the most critical component of the social safety net in the U.S. today. Fortunately, studies shown that it is extraordinarily successful in achieving its main goal of reducing food insecurity and hunger and, in addition, it improves the well-being of low-income Americans over multiple other dimensions.  (Continued...) Read more on: The Hill Dan Sumner, University of California, Davis In a trade war over steel, US farmers could be collateral damage By: CNN Money - March 8, 2018 With so much going their way, farmers don't want to upset the international trade apple cart. "There's nothing to win," said Daniel Sumner, an agricultural economics professor at University of California, Davis. "There's only stuff to lose." (Continued...) Read more on: CNN Money The self-inflicted economic damage to American agriculture Written by Daniel Sumner: The Hill - March 9, 2018 Agriculture is so fully integrated into world markets that consumers everywhere take for granted that ripe peaches will be available to everyone, everywhere in January, while Zinfandel, Shiraz and Prosecco are universally available. Likewise farmers all over the world use tractors made in America, and tomato processors use equipment from Italy. (Continued...) Read more on: The Hill Wallace Tyner, Purdue University President approves tariffs By: The Chronicle-Tribune- March 16, 2018 “We’re the second largest auto producer in the country behind Michigan,” said Wallace Tyner, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University. “If we got into a trade war, all of our exports get hurt.” (Continued...) Read more on: The Chronicle-Tribune Eric Wailes, University of Arkansas Alvaro Durand-Morat, University of Arkansas Retaliatory tariffs on ag could mean a $383 million hit for Arkansas By: Delta Farm Press and Magnolia Reporter - March 2, 2018 “Agriculture in the United States is a potentially likely target for retaliation,” said Eric Wailes, distinguished professor and L.C. Carter endowed chair of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. And “Arkansas is a major oilseed and grain exporter to China, Canada, and Mexico among others.” Wailes, along with department colleagues Alvaro Durand-Morat, assistant professor of agricultural economist; and technical assistant Leah English, prepared an analysis of potential impact on rice, corn, soybeans and sorghum exports should the U.S. implement trade tariffs. (Continued...) Read more on: Delta Farm Press and Magnolia Reporter Bobby Coat, University of Arkansas 11 market factors to watch this week Written by Bobby Coat: Delta FarmPress - March 13, 2018 I began the week of March 5, 2018, concerned more about equity and commodity price weakness than strength, as many of these markets were correcting and/or consolidating. By week’s end, the technology sector was signaling a potential sustained near term breakout. The Dow, S&P 500, and many global equity markets appeared to be signaling a retest of their previous highs. Read more on: Delta FarmPress Joe Glauber, International Food Policy Research Institute Congress needs to fix the tax plan’s ‘grain glitch’ now Written by Joe Glauber: The Hill - March 7, 2018 When Congress passes any major piece of legislation, it’s not uncommon that some specific — and perhaps not thoroughly considered — language deep inside the bill will lead to unintended consequences. (Continued...) Read more on: The Hill P K Joshi, International Food Policy Research Institute Agriculture the fulcrum of state economy: Expert By: The Times of India - March 7, 2018 Economist Shaibal Gupta on Tuesday said agriculture and its allied sectors were the fulcrum of Bihar’s economy. Speaking at a policy dialogue on “Towards Developing a Diversified Food System in Bihar for Improving Nutritional Outcomes’ organized by Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) in association with Tata Cornell Institute (TCI) in Patna on Tuesday, ADRI’s member-secretary Gupta said nearly 90% of the population dwelt in rural areas and was engaged in agricultural activities. However, agriculture generates less than a quarter of our Gross State Domestic Product. (Continued...) Read more on: The Times of India Ward Nefstead, University of Minnesota Minnesota crop land prices were down in 2017, but may be starting to stabilize By: The Star Tribune - March 11, 2018 “We’re in the third to fourth year of farm stress,” said Ward Nefstead, University of Minnesota Extension economist. “At a certain point some people may have to sell land, but we didn’t see it in 2017.” (Continued...) Read more on: The Star Tribune Jason Grant, Virginia Tech Gretna development called off due to new tariffs By: Go Dan River- March 9, 2018 Such a local hit by an international policy isn’t unusual, according to Virginia Tech Associate Professor Jason Grant, who is an expert in agricultural economics and business. “We may protect or shield some in the industry from import competition, but when we take in the economy-wide issues with these tariffs, from the many industries that use steel and aluminum, the losses outweigh the gains, ” Grant said. (Continued...) Read more on: Go Dan River

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