IMMANA Grants

Round 4 Competitive Research Grants to Develop and Validate Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions

The Call for Applications for Round 4 of IMMANA Grants is now open!

Deadline for submission of concept notes is 21 January 2021. The application portal can be found here.

The IMMANA Competitive Research Grants are aimed at accelerating the development of innovative and interdisciplinary methods, metrics and tools to advance the scientific understanding of the linkages between agriculture and food systems and health and nutrition outcomes, in order to better inform policy and programmatic actions to improve nutrition outcomes in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). 

This workstream of the IMMANA programme is led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. This is the 4th and final funding round for the IMMANA grants. Each IMMANA grant will be a maximum of £250,000 and up to 8 grants (4 development and 4 validation) are expected to be awarded through a competitive selection process.

Eligibility

In order for applications to be deemed eligible, they must fulfil the following criteria:

• Demonstrate the ability to conduct research to international standards of excellence in the topic proposed. Researchers and institutions from both developed countries and LMICs are eligible as lead institutions.
• Demonstrate strong and equitable partnerships. Concept notes must clearly show meaningful, collaborative relationships with LMICS evidenced by management and scientific contributions and capacity and learning exchange. The roles and responsibilities of all named applicants should be defined accordingly, together with a description of the added value arising from the bringing together of complementary expertise and partnerships.

For details on the priority research topics and approaches and eligible costs, please consult the call for applications and the frequently asked questions.

Selection process

The proposed research is expected to generate innovative and high quality methods, metrics and tools for application in the short to medium term for improving agriculture and food systems’ contributions to nutrition and health in low and middle income countries.

Applications will be reviewed in two main stages:

1) Review of concept memos:

Assessment of concept memos will be undertaken by IMMANA management team with oversight from the Co-Chairs of the Independent Panel of Experts.

The following criteria will be applied:

• innovation
• scientific excellence 
• research uptake plans and pathways to impact 
• collaborative approaches

Only those shortlisted were invited to submit a full proposal.

2) Review of full proposals:

Full applications will be subject to a peer-review process using the same criteria as the concept memo stage. The Independent Panel of Experts will assess the full proposals and the peer-review reports and recommend applications for funding. The review process will be overseen by the IMMANA Steering Committee, which will also be responsible for approving the Panel’s recommendations for funding.

Members in the News: Gundersen, Taheripour, Zhang, Orazem, Gustafson, Sumner, Meyer, Beghin, Plakias, Brown, Hahn, Sheldon, Funk, Lusk, He, & Hayes

Craig Gundersen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign New Data Shows Millions of Hungry Americans Ineligible for Federal Nutrition Assistance By: Feeding America - May 2, 2018 College students are less food insecure than non-students By: Health Medicine Network, News Medical, & Scienmag - November 19, 2020 Farzad Taheripour, Purdue University Ethanol Back in the Game By: Seed World - November 17, 2020 Farzad Taheripour, research associate professor in the department of agricultural economics at Purdue University, notes that the biggest factor into the decline in demand for ethanol production this year was certainly COVID-19.  (Continued...) Read more on: Seed World Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Asian Pacific Countries Sign Major Trade Deal Without The U.S. By: Harvest Public Media - November 20, 2020 “I think this definitely should trigger more discussions and nudges for the future Biden administration to consider rejoining [the Trans-Pacific Partnership] and accelerating negotiations with Europe,” said Wendong Zhang, an economics professor at Iowa State University. (Continued...) Read more on: Harvest Public Media Peter Orazem, Iowa State University Certain rural towns attract new business By: Agri-View - November 20, 2020 A new study led by Iowa State University examines data collected through two decades on 98 small Iowa towns that don’t share a border with a metropolitan city. The study examines factors that encourage or discourage entry by new companies in the towns. It also suggests policy implications for addressing economic distress. (Continued...) Read more on: Agri-View Christopher Gustafson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Study concludes Americans self-diagnose to adopt gluten-free diets By: Medical Xpress & KRVN - November 21, 2020 "One of the implications of going gluten-free is that you are probably going to end up with a diet that is less rich in whole grains," said Christopher Gustafson, an associate professor of agricultural economics who studies behavioral economics. (Continued...) Read more on: Medical Express & KRVN Daniel Sumner, University of California, Davis UC ANR Scientists Receive State Cannabis Research Grants By: Morning Ag Clips, Cannabis Product News, & Sierra Sun Times - November 22, 2020 Cannabis industry: Assessment of the location, structure, function, and demographics of licensed cannabis, focusing on geographical price differences, and differential impacts of local Prop 64-related regulations on the competitiveness of licensed businesses – Daniel Sumner, UC Davis professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center, $726,816 (Continued...) Read more on: Morning Ag Clips, Cannabis Product News, & Sierra Sun Times Seth Meyer, University of Missouri John Beghin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Farmers in Pa., elsewhere likely to see more multinational trade deals crafted in Biden administration By: Pennsylvania Capital-Star - November 22, 2020 The big unknown factor, though, is what China wants, cautions Seth Meyer, the associate director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri. “It’s like entropy applied to economics and politics,” said John Beghin, an agricultural economist and faculty member of the Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “It takes time to build things, but it doesn’t take much time to destroy them or to get out of them.” (Continued...) Read more on: Pennsylvania Capital-Star Zoë Plakias, The Ohio State University Benjamin Brown, The Ohio State University William Hahn, USDA-Economic Research Service 2020 Agricultural Policy and Outlook Conference highlights – Day 4 By: Ohio's Country Journal - November 20, 2020 The 2020 Agricultural Policy and Outlook Conference concluded with topics focused on consumer demand and commodity outlooks. Zoe Plakias, Assistant Professor in Agriculture and Food Economics, presented an outlook on consumer demand heading into 2021. Ben Brown, assistant professor of Professional Practice in Agricultural Risk Management gave an outlook on commodity markets. William Hahn, agricultural economist with the USDA, ERS presented his forecast for meat supply and demand. (Continued...) Read more on: Ohio's Country Journal Zoë Plakias, The Ohio State University Ian Sheldon, The Ohio State University Pandemic worsening food insecurity By: Ohio's Country Journal - November 23, 2020 Grocery store food prices have gone up only about 5% since January 2019, but with so many people out of work, food banks have seen a surge in demand, said Zoë Plakias, an assistant professor of agricultural, environmental, and development economics at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). By the end of 2020, an estimated 270 million people worldwide are expected to be food insecure, according to estimates from The United Nation’s World Food Program. That’s an 82% increase compared to the level of food insecurity before the pandemic began, said Ian Sheldon, an agricultural economics professor and Andersons Chair of Agricultural Marketing, Trade, and Policy at CFAES.  (Continued...) Read more on: Ohio's Country Journal Sam Funk, Iowa Farm Bureau Cost of traditional Thanksgiving meal this year falls to less than $5 per person, Farm Bureau says By: Des Moines Register - November 23, 2020 "Something to be thankful for is all the people who, from gate to plate, have worked endlessly to bring food and necessities for our families," said Funk, the bureau's director of agriculture analytics and research. (Continued...) Read more on: Des Moines Register Jayson Lusk, Purdue University Thanksgiving may be smaller this year, but the cost of holiday staples is rising By: WBBM Newsradio, Tristate, & WPTA21 - November 21, 2020 “While many of the food prices have come back down off the spikes in late spring and early summer, retail food prices remain significantly higher now than at the same time last year," said Prof. Jayson Lusk, the head of Purdue's agricultural economics department. "In October (the last data available), prices of food at grocery stores were 4 percent higher than the same time last year. (Continued...) Read more on: WBBM Newsradio, Tristate, & WPTA21  Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Xi He, Iowa State University Dermot Hayes, Iowa State University Seth Meyer, University of Missouri Deal bodes well for N.C. farmers By: Chatham News + Record - November 19, 2020 As heated election rhetoric cast dark clouds over U.S.-China relations, a silver lining is emerging for North Carolina farmers. If you have any doubts something historic is happening, get this: U.S. farmers are selling rice to China, the world’s largest rice producer. (Continued...) Read more on: Chatham News + Record Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Xi He, Iowa State University Dermot Hayes, Iowa State University ISU Expert: New Opportunities for Agricultural Trade with China By: KIWA Radio - November 22, 2020 Trade relations with China continue to be one of the biggest issues affecting the agricultural markets, and an economist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says recent events point toward opportunity for both countries. (Continued...) Read more on: KIWA Radio

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.

Webinar: Farm Income and Financial Forecasts, December 2020 Update

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Time: 1:00 PM EST
Duration: 1 hour
Host: Carrie Litkowski

Description:

USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) releases farm income statement and balance sheet estimates and forecasts three times a year. These core statistical indicators provide guidance to policymakers, lenders, commodity organizations, farmers, and others interested in the financial status of the farm economy. ERS' farm income statistics also inform the computation of agriculture's contribution to the U.S. economy's gross domestic product.

During this webinar, Economist Carrie Litkowski will be providing an updated farm sector income and wealth forecast for calendar year 2020.

See the latest Farm Income Forecast: https://go.usa.gov/x7Gjb

To join, please visit the webinar registration page: https://go.usa.gov/x7Gjj

Members in the News: Glauber, Meyer, Muhammad, Zhang, Sheldon, Gundersen, Dall’erba, Boehm, McFadden, Fraser, Valdivia, Hayes, He, Fuller.. et al.

Joseph Glauber, IFPRI U.S. House Agriculture Leader Loses Election, Unsettling Midwest Farm Sector By: Successful Farming, Reuters, MSN News, Agro Verdad, The Dairy Site, The Cattle Site, The Beef Site, & Daily Magazine - November 5, 2020 Financial and Trade Issues Loom in Agriculture as Presidential Race Ends By: Successful Farming & Agrarheute - December 3, 2020 Joseph Glauber, IFPRI Seth Meyer, University of Missouri Trump Administration Claims on Farm Trade Progress Questioned By: Bloomberg - October 23, 2020 The figure is an “overly optimistic” gauge as some of the sales may only hit the water after the Dec. 31 deadline and the contracts may still be canceled, said Joseph Glauber, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief economist. “The agreement explicitly calls for the goods to be imported into China, so on its face, compliance would seem to require not just an outstanding sale, but also delivery within the calendar year,” said Seth Meyer, associate director at the University of Missouri’s Food & Agricultural Policy Research Institute and former chairman of the USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board. (Continued...) Read more on: Bloomberg Sandy Dall’erba, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Agriculture Using Less Water According To New Research By: Forbes - November 19, 2020 "One needs to identify the drivers of water use by crop as they differ from one commodity to the next, so water-saving strategies for one crop may not be relevant for another one," Dall'erba explains. "For instance, water use in cereal grains, fruits and vegetables is mostly driven by the efficiency of the irrigation system, domestic per-capita income and sales to the food processing industry. If irrigation is more efficient, water demand decreases. When demand for fruits and vegetables decreased in 2005-2010 during the financial crisis, so did demand for water." (Continued...) Read more on: Forbes Andrew Muhammad, University of Tennessee American timber industry crippled by double whammy of trade war and COVID-19 By: The Conversation, Industrial Equipment News, & Morning Ag Clips - November 16, 2020 The forestry sector – landowners, logging companies and sawmills – have lost an estimated US$1.1 billion in 2020. Devastating wildfires and Hurricane Laura have played a part, but the COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to significant losses. If workers are required to stay home, then no trees will be felled or logs sawed into lumber. (Continued...) Read more on: The Conversation, Industrial Equipment News, & Morning Ag Clips Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Ian Sheldon, The Ohio State University Joseph Glauber, IFPRI China on track for $31 billion in U.S. Ag imports over 12 months By: Successful Farming - November 13, 2020 While China may not meet the first-year target under the “phase one” trade agreement, it is buying huge amounts of U.S. food, agriculture, and seafood products that could total $31 billion over 12 months, said Iowa State economist Wendong Zhang at a farm conference on Thursday. Neither Zhang nor Ohio State professor Ian Sheldon said they expected the Biden administration to roll back U.S. tariffs on China in the near term. Phase one is based on the calendar year, said former USDA chief economist Joe Glauber, so “the clock started in January.” It will be difficult, he said, for China to satisfy the import target in that time span. “Maybe” it could tally $31 billion in a 12-month period, Glauber said. (Continued...) Read more on: Successful Farming Craig Gundersen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Some US states hit harder by COVID-19 food insecurity By: Phys.org, Scienmag, Health News Digest, AZO Life Sciences, & Science Daily - November 12, 2020 State of Food Insecurity The U.S., California/Feeding Young People, Providing Healthful Food/Teaching Food Literacy By: CapRadio - November 16, 2020 Rebecca Boehm, Union of Concerned Scientists Biden urged to revisit USDA researchers' relocation By: Greenwire - November 16, 2020 "We need to know if this is working or not," Boehm told E&E News. Among other issues, she said, her group is interested in how USDA is meeting diversity goals, because most of the hires in Kansas City appear to be male. (Continued...) Read more on: Greenwire Brandon McFadden, University of Delaware Experts weigh in on food and climate change: 'There's a lot of unlearning that needs to happen' By: Mashable - November 19, 2020 McFadden believes providing customers with clear information about the environmental impact of foods before buying could help better inform consumer decision-making. Ultimately, however, he believes the problem of food and climate change comes down to a collective action problem. "My individual action doesn't make a big difference— I need other people to do it with me for it to matter."  (Continued...) Read more on: Mashable Iain Fraser, University of Kentucky New research finds UK consumers highly value EU food safety standards By: Feed Navigator - November 13, 2020 Research confirms UK consumers' dislike for US food production methods By: The Scottish Farmer - November 14, 2020 UK public ready to pay to avoid hormones in beef and chlorinated chicken By: Food Safety News - November 17, 2020 Corinne Valdivia, University of Missouri The Check-In: Who is America Now? By: KBIA Radio - November 13, 2020 Our guests today: Corinne Valdivia, an MU professor of agricultural economics who specializes in immigration, integration, and rural development (Continued...) Read more on: KBIA Radio Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Dermot Hayes, Iowa State University Xi He, Iowa State University New opportunities for agricultural trade with China By: Morning Ag Clips - November 17, 2020 Trade relations with China continue to be one of the biggest issues affecting the agricultural markets, and an economist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says recent events point toward opportunity for both countries. (Continued...) Read more on: Morning Ag Clips Kate Fuller, Montana State University Eric Belasco, Montana State University Federal Relief Projected To Be One Third U.S. Net Farm Income In 2020 By: Montana Public Radio - November 17, 2020 “The thing that I’m paying a lot of attention to is that in 2020, government payments are projected to be one third of U.S. net farm income,” Fuller said during a seminar on Nov. 13. MSU Associate professor Eric Belasco says the highest number of claims were along the Hi-Line while the highest claim amounts went to large ranches in places like Beaverhead County and southeast Montana. (Continued...) Read more on: Montana Public Radio Ian Sheldon, Iowa State University Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Ohio State Agriculture Policy and Outlook Conference – Day Three Recap By: Ohio's Country Journal - November 13, 2020 Dr. Ian Sheldon, Professor and Chair of Agricultural Marketing, Trade, and Policy, in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics began the program by discussing the impact of the pandemic on global and U.S. Trade. Dr. Wendong Zhang, Assistant Professor and Extension Economist at Iowa State University, followed with a presentation about Agricultural Transformations in China and its Global Trade Implications. (Continued...) Read more on: Ohio's Country Journal George Norton, Virginia Tech Rural communities often left behind when economic development comes to town By: Augusta Free Press - November 13, 2020 “We’ve reduced poverty and malnutrition significantly over the last 40 years or so but there are many people being left behind and a lot of it has to do with insufficient institutional change,” said Norton, a professor in the Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. (Continued...) Read more on: Augusta Free Press Wendong Zhang, Iowa State University Iowa State Report Says China's Phase One Ag Purchases Will Top $31B By: Brownfield Ag News - November 18, 2020 “Even though this number is still lower than the promised value of around 35 to 36 billion dollars, if realized, this will be the highest watermark—the highest quantity—that we have ever sold to China,” Zhang says. (Continued...) Read more on: Brownfield Ag News Cheryl DeVuyst, Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State's Lambert named 2020 Whatley Award recipient By: The Ada News - November 14, 2020 “Faculty typically do not publish as many seminal papers when working with impact-driven multidisciplinary teams, but Dr. Lambert has published 153 peer-reviewed research articles, including 10 during 2019 alone,” said Cheryl DeVuyst, head of the OSU Department of Agricultural Economics. “Dayton’s ability to interact with faculty across disciplines and institutions has increased the visibility, impact and reputation of OSU and benefited all of Oklahoma.”  (Continued...) Read more on: The Ada News John Hewlett, University of Wyoming Jay Parsons, University Nebraska-Lincoln Extension webinar to cover evaluation of risk management alternatives By: KRVN & KTIC - November 16, 2020 Presenters include John Hewlett, ranch and farm management specialist at the University of Wyoming, and Jay Parsons, professor and farm and ranch management specialist in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Agricultural Economics. Both are members of the national RightRisk Education Team, which has worked for nearly 20 years to develop tools to assist agricultural managers in their decision-making. (Continued...) Read more on: KRVN & KTIC Jim Jansen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Nebraska Extension to host workshops By: Fremont Tribune - November 17, 2020 The presentation will be led by extension land specialists Allan Vyhnalek, Austin Duerfeldt, Glennis McClure and Jim Jansen. They will address common agricultural landlord and tenant topics, including equitable rental rates, managing and adjusting farmland leases, landlord-tenant communication, pasture leasing and other land management considerations. (Continued...) Read more on: Fremont Tribune Gregory Colson, University of Georgia D.W. Brooks lecturer at UGA espouses innovation By: Albany Herald - November 17, 2020 Gregory Colson, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, received the D.W. Brooks Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has developed hands-on experiments and games for his classes to reinforce the material and give students a tangible experience to complement his teachings on economic theory. (Continued...) Read more on: Albany Herald

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: Tonsor, Ifft, Briggeman, Glauber, Batabyal, Malone, Bresciani, Narayanan, Kishore, Mandal, Martel, Swinnen, Gundersen.. et al.

Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University
Jennifer Ifft, Kansas State University
Brian Briggeman, Kansas State University

• Will Mothballed Food Service Demand Overshadow Strong Livestock Exports?
  By: AgWeb - November 6, 2020
• U.S. Farm Report 11/07/20 Video
  By: AgWeb - November 7, 2020

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Joseph Glauber, IFPRI

• Trump admin claims successes in China ‘phase one’ pact
  By: Agri-Pulse - October 23, 2020
• Joseph Glauber discusses agriculture trade
  By: CGTN via YouTube - October 29, 2020
• Adams on Agriculture
  By: PodBean - October 29, 2020

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Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

Why Were the Pollsters Wrong Again in 2020?

By: The Globe Post - November 12, 2020

We all know that the pollsters got it wrong when they forecast a Hillary Clinton victory over Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. In fact, their error was not trivial, and hence, post-2016, many in the polling industry appear to have done a lot of soul-searching and studying to ensure that a mistake of this magnitude is not repeated.

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Globe Post

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Trey Malone, Michigan State University

Farmers navigate shifting supply and demand equation

By: MiBiz - November 8, 2020

MSU Assistant Professor Trey Malone, who helped prepare the final report, admitted that “any crystal ball will be flawed.” But immediate effects of the pandemic show significant losses in output, which were primarily offset by federal financial relief.

(Continued...)
Read more on: MiBiz

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Fabrizio Bresciani, International Fund for Agricultural Development
Sudha Narayanan, Indira Gandhi Institute for Development Research
Avinash Kishore, IFPRI

Session 3: Regional Perspectives.

By: Foresight4Food - October 28, 2020

On October 21 and 22, the SDSN, Foresight4Food, IFAD, and APRA co-hosted the third in a series of eDialogues on the future of small-scale farming. The session explored and compared the dynamics of small-scale agriculture and food system change across Asia, Latin America, Africa and OECD country. The perspectives of small-scale farming in each individual region was discussed in a panel discussion. Afterwards, in a synthesis session panellists from each region reflected on the regional sessions and explored if and how the regions can learn from each other.

(Continued...)
Read more on: Foresight4Food

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Bidisha Mandal, Washington State University

ACA results in fewer low-income uninsured, but non-urgent ER visits haven't changed

By: Newswise, Sciencenewsnet.in, Med India, Health News Digest, Scienmag, & Medical Xpress - November 6, 2020

"I was surprised to see that low-income rural residents actually had more insurance gains than urban residents," Mandal said. "But providers just don't have enough incentive to accept new Medicaid patients."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Newswise, Sciencenewsnet.in, Med India, Health News Digest, Scienmag, & Medical Xpress

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Pedro Martel, Inter-American Development Bank
Johan Swinnen, IFPRI

The pandemic opens the opportunity to rebuild

By: Mexico Nueva Era & El Pais - November 4, 2020

"Technology and innovation and digitization will be key for the future, not only to face COVID19, but to boost employment, which has been demolished by the pandemic in the region," said Pedro Martel, chief of the Environment Division, Rural Development and Disaster Risk Management of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). 

“Healthy diets are not within the reach of 3 billion people globally. But we have seen a lot of creativity and innovation during the pandemic. The political environment has changed. Changes have been made that were previously unthinkable. We can use the crisis to move towards a world with more inclusive, sustainable and healthy food systems for all, ”said Johan Swinnen, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IPFRI).   

(Continued...)
Read more on: Mexico Nueva Era & El Pais

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Johan Swinnen, IFPRI

How the Coronavirus is Exacerbating Global Inequality, Hunger

By: The Market Oracle - October 26, 2020

There is no shortage of food globally, or mass starvation from the pandemic — yet. But logistical problems in planting, harvesting and transporting food will leave poor countries exposed in the coming months, especially those reliant on imports, said Johan Swinnen, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington.

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Market Oracle

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Craig Gundersen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Some U.S. State Hit Harder by COVID-19 Food Insecurity

By: Illinois Ag Connection - November 11, 2020

Experts project over 50 million Americans will be food insecure in 2020, including about 17 million children, says Craig Gundersen, ACES distinguished professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois.

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

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Keith Coble, Mississippi State University
William Lazarus, University of Minnesota
Katelyn McCullock, Livestock Marketing Information Center
Marvin Miller, Ball Horticultural Company
Mykel Taylor, Kansas State University

• USDA Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics Appointed
  By: Missouri Ag Connection - November 11, 2020
• Woman from South Dakota among those appointed to USDA Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics
  By: DRG News - November 11, 2020

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Benjamin Brown, The Ohio State University

OSU Agricultural Policy and Outlook Conference this week

By: Ohio's Country Journal & The Delphos Herald - November 9, 2020

Those payments will make up 32% of this year’s net cash income from all U.S. farms—more than double the portion those payments typically account for, said Ben Brown, an assistant professor of agricultural risk management at the The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). 

(Continued...)
Read more on: Ohio's Country Journal & The Delphos Herald

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Ani Katchova, The Ohio State University
Cortney Cowley, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

Ohio State Agricultural Policy and Outlook Conference – Day One Recap

By: Ohio's Country Journal - November 10, 2020

“U.S. net farm income and net cash income are forecast to increase for 2020, which is a fourth consecutive year,” said Katchova. “This growth in farm income is mainly driven by higher government payments, while livestock receipts are expected to be lower as we close out 2020.”

“In contrast to the broader economy, U.S. agriculture had been in a prolonged downturn, even before the pandemic,” said Cowley. “Economic conditions in agriculture have improved since April, thanks to government programs and the recent higher commodity prices.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Ohio's Country Journal

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Brent Sohngen, The Ohio State University
Margret Jodlowski, The Ohio State University

Ohio State Agricultural Policy and Outlook Conference – Day Two recap

By: Ohio's Country Journal - November 11, 2020

“A growing number of companies have Carbon Neutral goals,” said Sohngen. “Two thirds of the worlds economy want to be carbon neutral by 2050.”

Declining off-farm opportunities increases debt load for the farm operation and household. “It is unclear if this debt indicates growth or financial stress,” said Jodlowski. “Farm operator versus spouse’s income appears to be treated differently.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Ohio's Country Journal

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John Anderson, University of Arkansas

Economist looks at jobless rate

By: Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette & Arkansas Democrat Gazette - November 9, 2020

"September's national unemployment rate was 7.9%, and expectations were for a further decline of just a couple of tenths of a percent going into October," John Anderson said in a news release. "The unemployment rate actually declined by a full percentage point in October and now stands at 6.9%."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette & Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University

Demand for smaller turkeys expected to increase this year

By: 9NEWS - November 11, 2020

Dawn Thilmany, co-director of Colorado State University's (CSU) Regional Economic Institute, said indeed, holiday dinners will more than likely shrink. "I think you're going to see a lot more just plain breast out for people to buy, or turkey parts," said Thilmany.

(Continued...) Read more on: 9NEWS

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.

Webinar: Economic Perspectives on Wildfire: Preparation, Property, and Health

These wildfires impose both high financial and social costs that include lost forest resources, property and infrastructure losses, disaster relief, lost business activity in affected communities, and increased medical costs.

With an eye toward better understanding the economic aspects of wildfires, C-FARE will host a webinar entitled “Economic Perspectives on Wildfire: Preparation, Property, and Health” on November 16, 2020. This session, co-organized with the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE), will feature a panel of three economists whose expertise centers on wildfires. Our speakers include Drs. Matthew Wibbenmeyer (Resources for the Future), Patty Champ (United States Forest Service), and Eric Zou (University of Oregon). They will be talking about topics that include the breadth of wildfire costs; how communities can better prepare to face wildfire risks; and the contributions of wildfire to increased mortality through smoke exposure, sometimes over surprisingly large distances. I will host the webinar, and Dr. Karen Palmer, AERE President-Elect, will moderate the panel and field audience questions.

There has been no shortage of discussion of how public land management should change in the face of this increased fire risk, and there is renewed interest in issues such as mandatory wildfire risk disclosures for home sales and the role of electrical utilities in managing risk. Some things that I am particularly interested in hearing our panelists’ thoughts on is how key markets such as real estate, insurance, and forest-based resources are likely to evolve in the coming years, as well as their thoughts on what households and businesses in affected areas should be doing now to adapt to increasingly fire-friendly conditions. Please join us at 12 pm EST on Monday, November 16 if you are also interested in hearing more.

— Sean Cash, Tufts University

 

The threat of wildfires has become an increasingly large challenge faced by many Americans and as of October 1, over 44,000 wildfires have burned nearly 7.7 million acres in the United States this year.

This growing threat is in part due to increasing temperatures and changing weather conditions that are making the fires far more difficult to control and easier to spread…

REGISTER HERE: Economic Perspectives on Wildfire: Preparation, Property, and Health on November 16th, at 12 pm.