Members in the News: Smith Evans, Anderson, Minert, Funk, Foltz, Thilmany McFadden, Hill, Griffin, and AAEA

*Agricultural & Applied Economics Association Katherine Smith Evans, Washington Area Representative USDA to release rule to crack down on SNAP eligibility By: Politico and Omaha World Herald - July 23, 2019 “It’s really sad,” Katherine Smith Evans, a former administrator for ERS, said during remarks, as she got choked up. “I think it’s a fait accompli.” (Continued...) Read more on: Politico and Omaha World Herald David Anderson, Texas A&M University Brisket prices are rising. Here's why it's happening. By: Houston Business Journal - July 22, 2019 David Anderson, an agricultural economics professor and AgriLife Extension economist at Texas A&M University, said he and others anticipate a record amount of total meat production in the U.S. in 2019. He said briskets, bacon, chicken wings and hamburgers have shown particular strength in recent years, according to an article published by The Eagle, a newspaper in Bryan, Texas. “For the particular cuts of briskets, demand is really skyrocketing because of, I think, the growth of barbecue restaurants,” Anderson told The Eagle. “What we are seeing is an increase in prices because of that demand, even though the supply is growing.” (Continued...) Read more on: Houston Business Journal Jim Minert, Purdue University Sam Funk, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Exporting U.S. Ag Is Big Business By: Tri-State Livestock News - July 17, 2019 Dr. Jim Minert, professor and Extension economist at Purdue University, says the challenge in the ag industry over the recent half decade is that decreased commodity prices have not been met with a drop in key input prices, especially cash lease and purchase price of land. Farmers have had to dip into cash supplies to sustain living operations. “From a long run perspective, this isn’t sustainable – you can’t keep pulling working capital down.” Dr. Sam Funk is director of agriculture analytics and research for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. He says agriculture has always been cyclical in nature, but these times have been very challenging. “We see a lot of producers drawing from long term equity, utilizing expenses that are long term in nature,” Funk says. “We’re trying to pay last year’s debts by selling assets or borrowing against them.” (Continued...) Read more on: Tri-State Livestock News Jeremy Foltz, University of Wisconsin-Madison M.S. in Agricultural and Applied Economics offers new professional certification By: Wisconsin State Farmer - July 22, 2019 “Agricultural and Applied Economics’ rigorous training featuring both hard and soft skills will equip students with the necessary skills to compete for jobs in economic consulting, business, agribusiness, nonprofit organizations focused on development, and governmental sectors,” says Jeremy Foltz, chair of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The CBE certification will validate these competencies and signal the students’ commitment to stay up to date with the latest developments in economic analysis.” (Continued...) Read more on: Wisconsin State Farmer Dawn Thilmany McFadden, Colorado State University Rebecca Hill, Colorado State University CSU Launches Graduate Certificate in Agritourism Management By: Drovers - July 19, 2019 “Colorado is at the intersection of how tourism and agriculture can be blended to attract those interested in reconnecting with their food, Western heritage or our abundant natural resources, said Rebecca Hill, a research scientist in the College of Agricultural Sciences and an instructor in the program. “This certificate highlights best practices for people to do so effectively.” “Tourism is a strong and growing industry, particularly in Colorado,” said Dawn Thilmany, a professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences who has managed research and outreach in agritourism — before it was known by that name — for over a decade. “Yet, we have too few educational and professional development opportunities for those who want to thoughtfully and authentically integrate agritourism into their farm or community’s development plans. We believe these needs are even more acute in rural areas struggling to find an economic driver well suited to the 21stcentury.” (Continued...) Read more on: Drovers Terry Griffin, Kansas State University Making "Cents" of Blockchain Technology By: High Plains Journal - July 24, 2019 Terry Griffin is an associate professor in Kansas State University's Department of Agricultural Economics. Griffin’s Research and Extension programs have been focused on “big data” and how it might help farmers capture more value from their efforts. Part of that big data conversation is blockchain technology and how it can benefit growers up and down the grain chain. Griffin will help wheat and sorghum producers make "cents" of blockchain technology. (Continued...) Read more on: High Plains Journal *Agricultural & Applied Economics Association Conference Circuit: Agriculture and Economics By: Associations Now - July 19, 2019 The Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s 2019 Annual Meeting begins this weekend in Atlanta. Attendance is expected to top 1,400. (Continued...) Read more on: Associations Now *Agricultural & Applied Economics Association USDA Faces Exodus of Scientists as Employees Are Forced to Move to Kansas City By: Fortune Media - July 19, 2019 Even the estimated savings have come under question. An analysis by the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association found that the relocation would actually cost taxpayers between $83 and $182 million. This is due in part to an overstating of the cost of remaining in D.C. and “failing to take into account the lost value of research from staffers who resign or retire rather than move.” (Continued...) Read more on: Fortune Media

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 Sinais Alvarado at salvarado@aaea.org What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? Contact Allison Scheetz at ascheetz@aaea.org.

*Articles in response to the AAEA Communicating Out Strategy Press Releases highlighting: Government Relations, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Choices Magazine, General Media, and/or 2019 AAEA Annual Meeting in Atlanta.

Members in the News: Doherty, Grant, and Zhang

Mike Doherty, Illinois Farm Bureau How hostile planting conditions are hurting Illinois farmers By: Crain’s Chicago Business - July 11, 2019 Downstate Illinois saw a delay in the planting of corn when farmers normally would have planted by now, said Mike Doherty, a senior economist and policy analyst at the Illinois Farm Bureau. "When corn is delayed, the risk of ending up with lower yields goes up quite a bit," Doherty said. That delay is pushing up the corn planting crop date right up against the soybean date, he continued. "Farmers for the first time are planting soybeans first. They are experimenting due to the rain and the cold weather.” (Continued...) Read more on: Crain’s Chicago Business Jason Grant, Virginia Tech Spring flooding in Midwest will begin to unclog America's soybean backup By: UPI - July 15, 2019 "If you have a whole bunch of soybeans with no market for them it pushes prices down," said Jason Grant, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at Virginia Tech. With the trade war dragging on, economists predicted America's soy stockpile to grow even larger come fall harvest time, sending prices even lower, Grant said. (Continued...) Read more on: UPI Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Exporting U.S. Ag Is Big Business By: Successful Farming - July 15, 2019 The tariff situation has exposed the strategic misunderstandings between the two governments, says Wendong Zhang, Extension economist at Iowa State University. Zhang grew up in the Shandong province and has been working in the U.S. for the past decade. “Farmers need to understand the rapid changes taking place in China, both in agriculture and the general economy,” he says. (Continued...) Read more on: Successful Farming and American Banker

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 Sinais Alvarado at salvarado@aaea.org What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? Contact Allison Scheetz at ascheetz@aaea.org.

*Articles in response to the AAEA Communicating Out Strategy Press Releases highlighting: Government Relations, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Choices Magazine, General Media, and/or 2019 AAEA Annual Meeting in Atlanta.

Members in the News: Funk, Boehm, Ferrier, Barnaby, and Anderson

Sam Funk, Iowa Farm Bureau Massive Gamble on Soy Hoarding Pays Off for America’s Farmers By: Bloomberg - July 12, 2019 “It’s great for those who had that opportunity” to sell on rallies, said Sam Funk, director of agriculture analytics and research for the Iowa Farm Bureau. “For the entire system to be able to find those profitable marketing opportunities, it’s going to take a reopening of those markets.” (Continued...) Read more on: Bloomberg Rebecca Boehm, Union of Concerned Scientist Peyton Ferrier, USDA-Economic Research Service Honeybees hit by Trump budget cuts By: CNN Politics - July 6, 2019 "This is yet another example of the Trump administration systematically undermining federal research on food safety, farm productivity, and the public interest writ large," said Rebecca Boehm, an economist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "We're concerned about whether honeybee colony losses are still high and whether we're making any progress in bringing them down," said Peyton Ferrier, an economist at USDA who conducts research on how honeybee health affects the agriculture industry. (Continued...) Read more on: CNN Politics Art Barnaby, Kansas State University Use Crop Insurance? Thank Art Barnaby By: Successful Farming - July 8, 2019 Crop insurance is popular, partly because private companies sell it. It works because farmers can buy revenue insurance with a harvest price tied closely to a crop’s real value. We might not have this valuable resource without the work of Kansas State University (KSU) ag economist Art Barnaby. He helped create the first version of revenue insurance, Market Value Protection, offered in 1991. Barnaby retired from KSU on January 31. (Continued...) Read more on: Successful Farming David Anderson, Texas A&M University Briskets are Hot - Beef Brisket Values Skyrocket as Popularity Grows By: Progressive Farmer - July 8, 2019 David Anderson, agricultural economics professor and AgriLife Extension economist at Texas A&M University, said he and others anticipate a record amount of total meat production in the U.S. in 2019, according to a news release from the university. But items like beef briskets, bacon, chicken wings and hamburgers have shown particular strength in recent years. "For the particular cuts of briskets, demand is really skyrocketing," Anderson said. "We are seeing an increase in prices because of that demand, even though supply is growing." According to Anderson, the comprehensive cutout brisket value was $213.47 per hundredweight as of the end of May--up 19.4% from the same week in 2018. (Continued...) Read more on: Progressive Farmer

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 Sinais Alvarado at salvarado@aaea.org What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? Contact Allison Scheetz at ascheetz@aaea.org.

*Articles in response to the AAEA Communicating Out Strategy Press Releases highlighting: Government Relations, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Choices Magazine, General Media, and/or 2019 AAEA Annual Meeting in Atlanta.

Call for Applications: 2019 AAEA/AARES Heading South Award

The Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society (AARES) and the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) through the AAEA Trust will jointly offer this travel award to attend the 2020 AARES Conference in Perth, Western Australia. It is available to members of AARES or AAEA normally resident in North America. Applicants for the award can be a member of either AARES or AAEA but must be a member of AARES to participate in the conference.

The objective of the award is to provide the winner with an opportunity for professional and personal development and international professional and cultural exchange. The award will have a value of $3,000 USD to be used to assist the winner’s participation in the 2020 AARES Annual Conference to be held in Perth, Western Australia from February 11-14, 2020.

Selection Process
The 2020 Heading South Selection Committee will be chaired by the AAEA President, Keith Coble. Other members will include the President of AARES, John Rolfe, Phil Pardey, President of the AARES North America Branch, and another member of AAEA.

Applications should include:

• a paper for presentation at the AARES Annual Conference in Perth, for which the applicant is the sole or first author and which represents their original and unpublished work, 
• a one-page biographical statement, and 
• a one-page statement in support of their application, indicating what they would hope to accomplish through the award, why they would be deserving of the award, and confirming that they would be unable to attend the conference without this financial support.

Submission Deadlines and Details

Electronic submissions (in PDF form) for this award must be emailed to Kristen McGuire by Thursday, September 12, 2019 (for travel in February 2020).

View the Call for Applications on the AAEA website.

Members in the News: Funk, Glauber, Hart, Plastina, Swinton, Irwin, McFadden, Meemken, Banerjee, Lade, Orazem, Fan, Moschini, Jacobs, and Hayes

Sam Funk, Iowa Farm Bureau After Months of Floods and Tornadoes, Midwest Officials Tally Billions in Damage By: The Wall Street Journal - July 4, 2019 As the swollen Mississippi and Missouri rivers slowly recede, communities across the Midwest are starting to add up the damage and make plans for repairs with the help of federal aid. AccuWeather estimates $12.5 billion in damages and losses from flooding across the Midwest this spring, which would make it one of the costliest in the region in more than a decade. But many state and local officials say they have barely begun tallying the costs. (Continued...) Read more on: The Wall Street Journal Joseph Glauber, International Food Policy Research Institute Chad Hart, Iowa State University Trump's Trade War Aid to Farmers Risks Worsening Crop Stockpiles By: Bloomberg - May 17, 2019 “This is serious,” said Joseph Glauber, former chief economist for the U.S. Agriculture Department. “It’s worrisome to me that you could set prices that would really influence planting decisions, potentially distorting production.” Chad Hart, a crop markets economist at Iowa State University, said the mere announcement of the trade aid will shape farmers’ planting decisions, even if the administration doesn’t provide details of its plan or payment rates soon. (Continued...) Read more on: Bloomberg Alejandro Plastina, Iowa State University U.S.-China tensions knock soyabeans to post-crisis low By: Financial Times - May 13, 2019 Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor, was interviewed by Greg Meyer from the Financial Times last week, and his extension publication was referenced in the article “US-China tensions knock soyabeans to post-crisis low. (Continued...) Read more on: Financial Times Scott Swinton, Michigan State University This is not the way to move USDA agencies out of Washington Written by Scott Swinton: The Hill - July 2, 2019 The public debate over the announced move of the USDA Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture has focused on whether a move is sensible. Equally important is how this move has been planned and implemented. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced on June 13 that the 80 percent of staff at the two agencies will move to Kansas City by the end of September. He justified the move as putting the agencies closer to their agricultural constituency and as saving taxpayer money. I am one of the agricultural economists who wrote a critique of the USDA cost-benefit analysis, finding two major costs that were omitted from the USDA justification. (Continued...) Read more on: The Hill Scott Irwin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Corn prices plummet as USDA shows far more acres planted than predicted By: UPI - June 28, 2019 "At the time of this survey, the number of acres farmers intended to plant, but had not planted, was 15.5 million acres," said Scott Irwin, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Illinois. "That's 15.5 million acres that the USDA reported as planted that we have no idea what happened to in this survey." (Continued...) Read more on: UPI and Gephardt Daily Brandon McFadden, University of Delaware Meatless Burgers Look to Sizzle on Your July 4th Cookout By: Fortune - July 3, 2019 Brandon McFadden, an assistant professor in economics at the University of Delaware, wonders if "part of the reason Impossible Burger has not been scaled up so much is that they're trying to [manage] the cost." Then there's push back on issues like labeling. According to McFadden, Missouri passed a law that "you couldn't call something meat or a burger unless it was derived from an animal." If companies can't call their products meat or burgers, or maybe even sausages, gaining the attention of carnivores becomes much harder. (Continued...) Read more on: Fortune Eva-Marie Meemken, Cornell University Simanti Banerjee, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Many cocoa farm workers aren’t reaping the benefits of Fairtrade certification By: PBS/NOVA Next - July 3, 2019 While several studies have assessed the impacts of Fairtrade certification on farmers, there’s been a bit of a “blind spot” when it comes to the welfare of the rural workers they hire, says study author Eva-Marie Meemken, an agricultural economist at Cornell University. Part of the problem, she says, is access: Many farm workers come from other countries, leading to language barriers, and a good number of them work on a temporary basis in remote, inaccessible regions. However, these results aren’t all that surprising, and mirror what’s been suggested by other studies of sustainability certifications, says Simanti Banerjee, an agricultural and behavioral economist at the University of Nebraska Lincoln who was not involved in the study. (Continued...) Read more on: PBS/NOVA Next Gabriel Lade, Iowa State University Trump Will Try To Bolster Iowa Farmers Hurt By Trade, Weather By: National Public Radio - June 11, 2019 GABRIEL LADE: In the long run, this could benefit the ethanol industry, but that's certainly not, you know, the way it's being spun right now. It's being spun as an immediate benefit to farmers, which it won't be. (Continued...) Read more on: National Public Radio Peter Orazem, Iowa State University In This Town, You Apply For A Job And You Get It By: National Public Radio - May 23, 2019 So why are jobs so plentiful in this small city of more than 65,000 residents tucked amid farm fields 45 minutes north of Des Moines? One reason is that Ames is home to Iowa State University. College towns emerged from the Great Recession in stronger shape than other places, says Iowa State economist Peter Orazem. "Where the U.S. economy is growing tends to be in the sorts of things that universities are typically good at producing — educated employees and research," he says. (Continued...) Read more on: National Public Radio Shenggen Fan, International Food Policy Research Institute FAO drive towards zero hunger goal in Asia Pacific By: SciDev.Net - June 5, 2019 Shenggen Fan, director-general, International Food Policy Research Institute, tells SciDev.Net that innovative approaches in policy, institutions and technologies are key to improving progress on zero hunger. “We must promote nutritious, sustainable and healthy diets with fiscal policy, social protection and increased investment in research on nutritious foods and subsidies to support production of healthy foods.” Fan says that agri-food systems in the region must be inclusive, allowing women, children, youth and marginal or vulnerable population groups to benefit. (Continued...) Read more on: SciDev.Net GianCarlo Moschini, Iowa State University Banning neonicotinoids not cure-all for bee health, researchers find By: Farm Progress - June 26, 2019 New research shows a neonicotinoid ban in the United States may not be a risk-free solution to the problem of declining bee populations. According to research from GianCarlo Moschini at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University and Ed Perry at Kansas State University, a total agricultural ban in U.S. maize, similar to one introduced in the European Union in 2013, could have unintended consequences. (Continued...) Read more on: Farm Progress Keri Jacobs, Iowa State University SF Special: Minnesota Cooperative Falls Prey to Its General Manager By: Successful Farming - May 20, 2019 “What failed is the oversight of the process,” says Keri Jacobs, an associate professor at Iowa State University. “While it’s important to place your trust in the person hired to lead your business, there must also be checks and balances in place to verify what he or she is doing.” (Continued...) Read more on: Successful Farming Joseph Glauber, International Food Policy Research Institute The Grain Exchange presented advances in the NASA Harvest Conference 2019 By: Argentina’s El Economista - June 27, 2019 Subsequently, a series of panels with presentations by different members of the consortium began. The Grain Exchange had its space at the opening of the day, with a focus on Technologies for Earth Observation, Agricultural Markets and Price Volatility. Agronomist Esteban Copati made a presentation on the impact of Earth Observation technologies on agricultural estimates in Argentina. This first panel was also composed of Joe Glauber (IFPRI) and Matt Hansen (UMD), in turn also had the presence of Abdolreza Abbassian (FAO), Seth Meyer (USDA), Arnaud Petit (IGC) and Ian Jarvis (GEOGLAM). (Continued...) Read more on: Argentina’s El Economista and Argentina's Clarin Rural Dermot Hayes, Iowa State University Ongoing trade uncertainty hurts producers By: Ag|Update - May 31, 2019 Iowa State University economist Dermot Hayes has estimated that U.S. pork exports to Japan could grow from $1.6 billion last year up to $2.2 billion over the next 15 years if such an agreement is reached. But shipments could drop dramatically if a deal is not reached. (Continued...) Read more on: Ag|Update, National Hog Farmer, Rural Radio Network, Market Screener.com, Wisconsin State Farmer, and St. Joseph Post

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 Sinais Alvarado at salvarado@aaea.org What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? Contact Allison Scheetz at ascheetz@aaea.org.

*Articles in response to the AAEA Communicating Out Strategy Press Releases highlighting: Government Relations, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Choices Magazine, General Media, and/or 2019 AAEA Annual Meeting in Atlanta.

Members in the News: Thilmany, Ortega, Lusk, Dinterman, Unnevehr, Zilberman, Bolotova, Swinton, Luckstead, Tsiboe, Crane-Droesch, Zhang, Malone, Schulz, Brown, and Anderson

Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University ERS union predicts mass exodus ahead of relocation By: Politico - June 25, 2019 “The loss in expertise is extremely concerning for those who create policy, rely on sound market and industry research and who collaborate with USDA ERS to address field-based questions that arise,” said Dawn Thilmany, an associate department head at Colorado State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, when POLITICO asked her to review the survey results. But an analysis conducted by researchers at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association disputed the department’s estimate, suggesting relocation could cost as much as $128 million over time. That group’s analysis said USDA didn’t take into account the value of future research that would be lost after veteran economists leaving the agencies, and also argued the department overstated the costs of keeping the agencies in Washington. (Continued...) Read more on: Politico David Ortega, Michigan State University Michigan Farm Leaders Skewer Donald Trump’s Trade War By: Huffington Post - May 14, 2019 Even once a trade deal is reached with China, rebuilding ties will be difficult. A study by Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture revealed that 68 percent of China consumers find America’s trade policy toward China to be unfair, research author David Ortega noted. (Continued...) Read more on: Huffington Post Jayson Lusk, Purdue University Economist identifies consumer trends and the future of food By: Beef Magazine - June 23, 2019 To kick things off, here is a recap from the opening session at SPAC, where Jayson Lusk, Purdue University distinguished professor and head of the Agricultural Economics department, talked about the future of food and agriculture, as well as the trends, opportunities and challenges ahead for producers. “The dollars we spend on research and innovation are really important to the success story of U.S. agriculture,” said Lusk. “What makes us successful? It’s not because we have the cheapest labor or land; it’s because we have the best access to the latest technologies.” (Continued...) Read more on: Beef Magazine Robert Dinterman, The Ohio State University Trends Show Chapter 12 Bankruptcies Not Rising At An Alarming Rate By: Agweb - April 17, 2019 Economists from the Ohio State University looked at the trends in Chapter 12 filings each year, evaluating whether the recent downturn in commodity prices is impacting the number of bankruptcies agriculture is seeing. “What our study kind of looked at is how have the trends in filing rates for chapter 12 trended over time. And since 2005, we're kind of at a range that on average we probably see around 450 to 500 bankruptcies filed for farmers each year,” said Robert Dinterman, co-author of the report released in “The Feed.” (Continued...) Read more on: Agweb Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University Laurian Unnevehr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Colorado's food system relies on a strong USDA research base Written by Dawn Thilmany and Laurian Unnevehr: The Daily Sentenial - June 23, 2019 Farmer's market season is here, baby animals are grazing alongside their mothers, and field crops are mostly planted and starting to yield their bounty, signaling another season to enjoy the unique variety of foods produced here in Colorado: Everything from Palisade peaches to San Luis Valley potatoes to beef pastured and finished on the Eastern Plains. Colorado farmers and ranchers work hard under adverse conditions to provide us with delicious food. But in addition to their efforts, much of what we take for granted in our food system relies on the agricultural research and outreach from public organizations like the U.S. Department of Agriculture and our own land grant university, Colorado State University. (Continued...) Read more on: The Daily Sentenial David Zilberman, University of California, Berkeley Group Says USDA Relocation to Cost Taxpayers By: KTIC Radio - June 21, 2019 An organization representing agricultural economists says a relocation effort by the Department of Agriculture will cost taxpayers. The Agricultural and Applied Economics Association claims the plan by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue would cost taxpayers $83 to $182 million dollars, instead of saving them $300 million as USDA claims. Additionally, the organization says a rushed, unplanned move will “undermine the quality of USDA agricultural economic information at a critical time for the nation’s agricultural and rural economy.”  Given the economy, AAEA president David Zilberman says, “This is the worst possible time” for such a much by USDA. (Continued...) Read more on: KTIC Radio Yuliya Bolotova, Clemson University How Common Is Price-Fixing in the Food Industry? By: Pacific Standard Magazine - June 27, 2019 "Unfortunately, price-fixing has become too common in the modern food industry," Yuliya Bolotova, an assistant professor of agribusiness at Clemson University, writes in an email. According to Bolotova, who has studied price-fixing in the food industry, the recent cases began because the chicken and pork industries were over-producing: The meat-processing companies weren't able to sell product at a cost that was profitable to them, so they "implemented a series of production cuts," writes Bolotova in a 2019 working paper presented to the Southern Agricultural Economics Association. (Continued...) Read more on: Pacific Standard Magazine Scott Swinton, Michigan State University MSU agricultural economics professor receives prestigious faculty honor By: WLNS.com - June 27, 2019 The Michigan State University Board of Trustees honored an agricultural economics professor with the University Distinguished Professor. Professor Scott Swinton from the department of agricultural, food and resource economics received the award which honors faculty members whose achievements have garnered national and international recognition, have superior teaching skills and an impressive record of public service and scholarly achievements. “I like to work on research that makes a difference,” said Swinton. “That’s the fundamental idea in the land grant system, that we’re not just kind of doing research and education because it’s interesting, but we’re doing it because it helps improve people’s lives.” (Continued...) Read more on: WLNS.com Jeff Luckstead, University of Arkansas Francis Tsiboe, Kansas State University Economic incentives may curb child labor in cocoa industry, Arkansas researchers think By: Magnolia Reporter - June 24, 2019 An article assessing child labor in the cocoa industry, recently published by University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture economists Jeff Luckstead and Lanier Nalley and Francis Tsiboe of Kansas State University, has sparked an international conversation. The article, titled "Estimating the economic incentives necessary for eliminating child labor in Ghanaian cocoa production" and published in PLoS ONE, theorizes that a modest price increase of less than 3 percent could eliminate Ghana's use of child labor for hazardous work without weakening farmers’ earnings. (Continued...) Read more on: Magnolia Reporter Andrew Crane-Droesch, USDA – Economic Research Service David Zilberman, University of California, Berkeley ‘Mixture of outrage and resignation.’ Why USDA employees aren’t thrilled with KC move By: The Kansas City Star - June 24, 2019 For USDA researcher Andrew Crane-Droesch, a cross-country move from the nation’s capital to Kansas City is out of the question. He’s among more than 550 federal workers whose jobs will be shipped from Washington, D.C., to the Kansas City area after the region won out in a competition between cities in 35 states.  “To be frank, America’s agricultural economy today faces serious challenges,” AAEA president David Zilberman said in a news release. “This is the worst possible time to dismantle the USDA’s capability to analyze agricultural markets, crop insurance, and trade policy.” (Continued...) Read more on: The Kansas City Star Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Sharing Information Can Bridge the Divide with Landowners By: 4U Plus - June 2019 Ownership of Iowa farmland is increasingly shifting to landowners with little to no understanding of the conservation practices that improve soil resiliency, said Wendong Zhang, Ph.D., an assistant professor of economics at Iowa State University. He encourages tenants to communicate with landowners and share what‘s happening on the land to bridge the divide. Farming is complex and conservation practices add another layer to the challenges of communicating what tenants are doing or want to do to improve the land, Zhang explains. “When you ask landowners if they want to sustain the land and improve long-term soil health and water quality, they are in agreement,” he said. “But they may not understand what that means for the tenant in terms of investment in different machinery for tillage, for example.” (Continued...) Read more on: 4U Plus, China Daily Hong Kong, and The Oskaloosa Herald Trey Malone, Michigan State University Stress builds as Michigan farmers are ‘hit from all directions’ By: Bridge - June 25, 2019 Food and agriculture in Michigan is a huge industry, contributing over $101 billion to the state’s economy and employing over 900,000 workers. There are just under 48,000 farms covering roughly 9.8 million acres and producing about 300 products, making Michigan second only to California in diversity of products, said Trey Malone, an agriculture economist at Michigan State University. Although many Michigan farmers have been hurt, dairy farmers have been among the worst hit by weather and trade issues, said Trey Malone, an agriculture economist for Michigan State University. (Continued...) Read more on: Bridge Lee Schulz, Iowa State University Scott Brown, University of Missouri Markets Jump on Skyrocketing Hog Inventory By: Farm Journal’s Pork - June 27, 2019 Looking at the weight breakdown of market hog inventory, of particular note was the 7½% increase in the number of pigs in the 180-lb. and over category compared to year ago levels, said Lee Schulz, associate professor of agricultural economics, Iowa State University. The number was three percentage points higher than pre-report expectations. “When you look at Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, all with growth in excess of 4/10ths of a pig relative to the year ago, it certainly suggests to me that some of the disease issues that we've seen in the industry are becoming better controlled, PRRS being one that sticks out,” said Scott Brown, University of Missouri economist. (Continued...) Read more on: Farm Journal’s Pork David Anderson, Texas A&M University Texas A&M experts: Brisket prices rising along with demand By: The Eagle - June 27, 2019 David Anderson, an agricultural economics professor and AgriLife Extension economist at Texas A&M, said Wednesday that he and others anticipate a record amount of total meat production in the U.S. in 2019. He said briskets, bacon, chicken wings and hamburgers have shown particular strength in recent years. “For the particular cuts of briskets, demand is really skyrocketing because of, I think, the growth of barbecue restaurants,” Anderson said. “What we are seeing is an increase in prices because of that demand, even though the supply is growing.” (Continued...) Read more on: The Eagle

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 Sinais Alvarado at salvarado@aaea.org What research and topics are you working on? Want to be an expert source for journalists working on a story? Contact Allison Scheetz at ascheetz@aaea.org.

*Articles in response to the AAEA Communicating Out Strategy Press Releases highlighting: Government Relations, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Choices Magazine, General Media, and/or 2018 AAEA Annual Meeting in Washington D.C.