Farm Foundation’s Agricultural Economics Fellow program is a yearlong program for a faculty agricultural economist. The 2024 fellowship is focused on integrated systems approaches to understanding and overcoming the challenges in developing a greater understanding of how trade and sustainability are interconnected and are impacting the food and agricultural sectors in the United States and beyond. Dr. Steinbach is Farm Foundation’s fourth Agricultural Economics Fellow and succeeds Drs. Trey Malone (University of Arkansas), Amanda Countryman (University of Colorado), and Alejandro Plastina (University of Iowa).  

In addition to being mentored by staff in USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, Steinbach in turn will mentor participants in the Farm Foundation and USDA Economic Research Service Agricultural Scholars program, among other engagements.  

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Steinbach to our Agricultural Economics Fellowship program,” says Martha King, vice president of programs and projects at Farm Foundation. “His research interests in international trade and agricultural policy set the stage for a fruitful collaboration towards advancing Farm Foundation’s ongoing work in agricultural trade and international sustainability policy.” 

Steinbach is the director of the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies and a faculty scholar of the Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth. He is also a visiting scholar and consultant at the United States Department of Agriculture. 

As part of his fellowship, Steinbach will author a Farm Foundation Issue Report. His recent work has appeared in Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Economics Letters, the NBER Working Paper Series, and Nature Communications. 

He holds master’s degrees from Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of California, Davis. In 2018, he completed his doctoral studies in economics with the Center for Economic Research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. 

The post Farm Foundation Announces 2024 Agricultural Economics Trade and Sustainability Fellow appeared first on Farm Foundation.

The event gathered agricultural economists to share ideas and research on global agricultural productivity. Dr. Sun Ling Wang, senior economist at the USDA’s Economic Research Service and Dr. Jessica Agnew, associate director of CALS Global at Virginia Tech, organized the event along four key thematic questions: 

• How can different methodologies result in distinct productivity estimates, and does it matter? 
• How does public R&D and patent knowledge stock affect agricultural productivity growth? 
• How does climate change influence agricultural productivity growth and what are the consequences? 
• What are the causes and consequences of agricultural productivity growth? 

In his opening remarks, Stefanou rejected the notion that agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) will necessarily exacerbate environmental degradation and identified the need for “productivity growth that preserves natural resources.”  

The presentation then continued with a consideration of how global agricultural productivity research fits into the framework Stefanou put forward. Agronomist Dr. Tom Thompson, associate dean and director of global programs at Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which houses the GAP Initiative, summarized the GAP Initiative’s vision as a world in which “every farmer has access to every tool,” whether agronomic, economic, or environmental. He went on to describe the GAP Initiative’s progress in “promoting evidence-based solutions,” leveraging research such as that done by the more than 40 agricultural productivity economists attending the workshop. 

Considering Inputs and Environmental Accounting 

After opening remarks, the day’s sessions focused on topics such as measuring inputs in agricultural productivity analysis, with discussion centering on biological capital, irrigation water value, hedonic pricing in seed markets, and seed breeding impacts on productivity; and the interplay between climate and agricultural productivity growth, touching on extreme weather, changing crop yields, agricultural trade impacts, and long-term climate scenarios.  

The first day of the workshop also included several presentations assembled around environmental accounting in agricultural productivity analysis. Presenters addressed environmental stress on productivity, undesired climactic outputs, environmentally-adjusted TFP measures, and environmental factor accounting in TFP. A panel discussion concluded the day by further diving into environmental accounting. 

The workshop continued on the second day with a focus research and development analysis. A report on the agriculture venture capital landscape began the morning, and preceded presentations on Chinese R&D and its effects on agricultural productivity, the US patent knowledge stock, as well as research into the lag between research and observable effects and solutions.  

Then, two sessions themed around drivers of productivity growth and its climactic consequences featured presentations on food security implications of climate change, a case study of agricultural productivity growth in Argentina, and the relationship between farm labor and climate. Papers in the second of these two sessions discussed poverty reduction and agricultural productivity, climate change-induced crop yield growth, extreme heat and productivity, as well as the criteria of productivity indices under climate change.  

Perspectives from the Public and Private Sector 

Tying together the two days of productivity analysis papers, the workshop’s final presentations focused on the private and public realm. These applied presentations reminded attendees of the importance of their economic research on agricultural productivity by providing the real-world context. 

Dr. Elise Golan from the Office of the Chief Economist of USDA identified key challenges facing policymakers, and how solutions discussed in the room would help advance the fight against food insecurity, shrinking farmer incomes, and environmental degradation. Ruth Bradley, a representative from Tyson Foods Agribusiness, outlined how Tyson’s business plan offers solutions to the problems that Golan identified. Attendees then heard from Jennifer Billings, global agricultural development lead at Corteva, a supporting partner of the GAP Initiative. Billings detailed how Corteva is helping farmers across the Global South to grow agricultural productivity in the face of a shifting climate.  

Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Global Programs, which houses the GAP Initiative and hosted the workshop at the Innovation Campus, is committed to building public-private partnerships, showcasing agricultural productivity research, and creating opportunities for ideation in this space. This co-hosted workshop did just that. Agnew, co-lead of the GAP Initiative, concluded the two-day workshop with remarks on how the GAP Initiative is the ideal platform for academics, policymakers, and private sector partners to convene and make progress in feeding the world, while doing so responsibly and sustainably in a changing climate. 

Evan McKay is a participant in the 2023 Farm Foundation Agricultural Scholars program. He is a first-year master’s student in agricultural and applied economics at Virginia Tech, where he focuses on commodity markets, risk management, and agricultural productivity. He previously studied French West Africa and the Middle East before working in oil and gas finance. Evan hopes to pursue a career in international commodities markets and one day return to Virginia to farm. 

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The U.S. Mission to the European Union and the European Food Forum coincided with the comment period for the EU’s proposed Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation. Additionally, at the end of May 2023, the second meeting of the United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) on an agreement to reduce plastic waste will be held in Paris. 

The U.S. delegation included Andrew Stephens, senior policy advisor at USDA Foreign Agricultural Service; Chris Bradley, chief marketing, design and sustainability officer at Orora Packaging; Raghela Scavuzzo, associate director of food systems development at Illinois Farm Bureau; Rafael Auras, professor in the School of Packaging at Michigan State University; Celeste Chen, senior international trade specialist at the U.S. Department of Commerce; LaShonda Korley, director of the Center for Plastics Innovation; Martha King, Farm Foundation vice president of programs and projects; and Morgan Craven, Farm Foundation senior events manager. 

Exploring Many Perspectives

Among a variety of activities, Farm Foundation and Packaging Europe hosted a public lunch dialogue, “The Future of Packaging: Innovations and Challenges in Advancing Sustainability”  on sustainable packaging for Brussels representatives of consumer brands and the packaging industry. On May 3, Farm Foundation also hosted a reception at the European Parliament following the “US-EU Dialogue on Sustainable Packaging” event hosted by the European Food Forum and the United States Mission. The dialogue event provided “an opportunity for packaging engineers, academics, sustainability experts, and consumer and civil society representatives on both sides of the Atlantic to talk about opportunities and challenges in the transition towards a more sustainable future of packaging,” according to the event’s agenda. 

The delegation also participated in a tour of the Greenyard Group’s fresh cut salad packaging facility to look at changes happening in consumer and transport packaging for produce and a tour of The Coca-Cola Company R&D near Brussels to learn about the multiple efforts happening to reduce single-use plastic waste. 

“Whether it’s changing to tethered closures, reusable crates instead of corrugated boxes, compostable stickers, and so on, regulatory changes have big ripple effects not just on large companies but farmers and small businesses alike,” says Martha King, Farm Foundation vice president of programs and projects, noting that there is often a disconnect in understanding between scientists and policy makers when it comes to materials used in food packaging. “Changes to our food packaging need to not only be environmentally and economically sustainable, but safe and grounded in food and environmental safety research.”  

A Broader Conversation on US-EU Food and Agricultural Trade

This delegation was part of a larger body of work Farm Foundation has embarked on pertaining to addressing challenges arising from the implementation of new regulatory mandates on sustainability and circular economy themes. “Practical Approaches to Circularity in US-EU Food and Agricultural Trade” is a multi-year initiative which will support the design, plan, and implementation of workshops and seminars to stakeholders, regulators, and policymakers on scientific and technical options as sustainability regulations affecting food and agricultural products arise. 

The post U.S. Delegation to Brussels Focused on Packaging and Packaging Waste in Food and Agriculture appeared first on Farm Foundation.

Her contribution to the report, “Ukraine Conflict Disrupts Agricultural Production and International Trade,” covers lost agricultural production in Ukraine, the effects of the trade blockade, trade policy problems, and wider implications for agriculture. The essay can be found starting on page 28 of the report.

Now published by Virginia Tech, the annual GAP Report was first published in 2010 as the product of a collaboration between the Global Harvest Initiative and Farm Foundation to track global agricultural productivity growth and to encourage research to better understand and measure agricultural productivity.

The post Farm Foundation Contributes Perspective on Ukraine in 2022 GAP Report appeared first on Farm Foundation.

The discussion will focus on the status of standardized, interoperable data in multi-party supply chains, as well as the current challenges and needs. Data sovereignty and privacy within the supply chain and the tools available to allow information owners to control what information is shared, with whom, when and for what purposes will also be covered.

ASTM International recently formed a new committee (F49) to develop recommended frameworks, standards, best practices, and guides related to the sharing and use of digital information across the supply chain. The ASTM effort directly relates to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #9 on industry, innovation, and infrastructure.

The post Where’s My Stuff?: Supply Chain Virtual Event Storming appeared first on Farm Foundation.

OAK BROOK, Ill. (October 5, 2022) – Four leading independent agricultural organizations from Australia, Canada, the European Union, and United States have formed a collaborative initiative known as the Global Forum on Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI) to increase the sustainability of agriculture across the world. 

The purpose of the collaboration is to use existing evidence and emerging research to inform dialogue that can unlock new thinking and ideas. In doing so, the organizations believe that they can increase knowledge and understanding of key gaps and opportunities to deliver better outcomes for more sustainable agriculture around the world.

The four organizations have been working together informally for the past year to better understand key issues and seek areas of alignment for collaboration. Leaders from the four organizations recently convened in Oak Brook, Illinois, at Farm Foundation’s offices for the purpose of taking this further step in formalizing the collaboration.

In addition to aligning on the purpose statement, GFFPI envisions a set of shared activities for the coming year. These include collaborating on shared public dialogue on trade and sustainability in 2022-2023. The organizations will look for ways to engage additional global voices and to connect their individual organizational activities associated with one of the key global drivers of sustainable agriculture.

Going forward, the partners will also seek to work with similar like-minded organizations around the world.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Farm Foundation, Australian Farm Institute, Canadian  Agri-Food  Policy  Institute, and Forum for the Future of Agriculture said:

“We know that key differences persist in approaches to sustainability across countries and that this type of collaborative initiative can help increase the understanding of gaps and opportunities. We value collaborating with these independent organizations to help lead such important debates to enable solutions.” Shari Rogge-Fidler, CEO of Farm Foundation

“We need to build a food and agriculture system that is more resilient and sustainable and which realizes its potential as a climate solution. The Forum has long recognized that this cannot be done in isolation and today’s announcement is fully aligned with its objective of working with like-minded organizations around the world. From the pressure on environmental, as well as food, security and the climate crisis, the urgency to bring forward new thinking, ideas, and solutions has never been greater. This initiative will enable us to contribute with greater impact to that goal.” Janez Potočnik, Chairman, Forum for the Future of Agriculture

“Regardless of their size, structure or location, Australian farmers now work in an interdependent, world-wide system. Understanding global policy trends and how they influence our trading and operating environments has never been more important. The GFFPI will further enhance the AFI’s ability to bring that global lens into our policy work, and provides a unique forum through which our organizations can pursue policy and innovation which helps build sustainable farm businesses around the world.” Richard Heath, Executive Director, Australian Farm Institute

“Around  the  world  agriculture  must  play  a significant  role  in  meeting  critical economic,  environmental,  and  food  security  goals. These  are  global  challenges  that require  local  solutions. While  the  local  solutions  will  be  different, there  will  be common  threads,  including  the  need  for  profitability,  productivity,  and  growth. This is  a significant  opportunity  to  work  together  to  advance  policies  that  position agriculture  as a solution-provider  for  these  critical  challenges.”  Tyler  McCann, Managing  Director,  Canadian  Agri-Food  Policy  Institute

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About the Global Forum for Farm Policy and Innovation
Global Forum for Farm Policy and Innovation leverages evidence and dialogue leading to increased understanding, substantive action, and enhanced outcomes for more sustainable agriculture around the world.

The Australian Farm Institute is an independent institute leading the farm policy discussions to ensure a viable future for the Australian agriculture community, delivers timely analysis and insights, and promotes the evidence-based policy solutions that maximize the economic and social wellbeing of farmers.

Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute is an independent, non-partisan not for profit organization for agri-food leaders to come together, share insights, and advance ideas on emerging issues facing this important sector.

Farm Foundation in the United States is an independent, non-partisan 501c3 accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture, combining the trust and reliability of a “think tank” with the impact and urgency of a “do tank.”

Forum for the Future of Agriculture in Europe is an independent, open, and inclusive convener with influence to generate the ideas, thinking, and solutions which help build a more resilient food and agriculture system.

The post New Global Collaboration Platform for Farm Policy and Innovation Launched appeared first on Farm Foundation.

For the last several years, the European Union has begun integrating industrial, agricultural, transportation, environmental, and health policies into an overarching initiative to make Europe the first carbon emissions neutral continent by 2050. It is called the European Green Deal. The agricultural component of this carbon neutral initiative is called Farm to Fork (F2F).

The Farm to Fork initiative is what the European Commission has described as nothing short of “…an opportunity to reconcile our food system with the needs of the planet.”

Currently Farm to Fork is a proposal of the Commission of the European Union. Its multiple policies will only become “law” after the Council of the European Union adopts them. That is not a formality. Even some member states that support Farm to Fork’s objectives will consider specific proposals on a case-by-case basis. And several specific proposals will need to be presented for Council consideration to secure F2F’s six overlapping, and possibly difficult to secure simultaneously, objectives.

The post A Primer on Farm to Fork: European Agriculture in Transition? appeared first on Farm Foundation.

International trade is critical for U.S. agriculture. Trade boosts U.S. agricultural prices and producer income as domestic production exceeds domestic demand. U.S. agricultural exports are forecast to reach a record breaking $191 billion in 2022. China is the largest market for U.S. agricultural products despite challenges between both countries that resulted in a trade conflict that began in January 2018. U.S. concerns about China’s trade and production practices include forced technology transfer, discriminatory licensing, intellectual property (IP) theft, investment restrictions, and subsidies to state owned enterprises (SOEs) that are anti-competitive. President Trump confronted China by implementing Section 301 tariffs on solar panels and washing machines, followed by Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. China responded by imposing retaliatory tariffs on $3 billion of U.S. goods, including agricultural products. This prompted additional trade actions in a tit-for-tat battle for two years before the U.S. and China reached the Phase One agreement. The agreement pledged increased Chinese purchases of U.S. agriculture, manufacturing, and energy products, and addressed sanitary and phytosanitary barriers on U.S. exports of agricultural products, among other economic provisions.

U.S. agricultural exports to China totaled $35.9 billion in 2021, dominated by soybean exports, followed by corn, forest products, and various crop and meat products described in Figures 1 and 2. While the agreement halted further escalation in the trade conflict and showed promise for improved relations, import tariffs of approximately twenty percent on about sixty percent of bilateral trade between the two countries remain. Furthermore, the two-year timeline for Phase One purchases by China concluded in December 2021, with no signs of a new trade agreement between the two countries.

Given the uncertainty of economic relations with China and the importance of the Chinese market for U.S agriculture, Farm Foundation and Pinion convened agricultural industry leaders in five locations to learn what their perspectives are on the future of the U.S. trade relationship with China. Discussions were held in Minneapolis, Chicago, Houston, Sacramento, and Seattle, representing diverse U.S. agricultural stakeholders (see Figure 3). Tremendous insights were gained during conversations across the locations that gave rise to four key themes encompassing challenges and opportunities for the future of trade with China. Themes discussed in detail in this report include 1) trust and stability, 2) input costs and supply chain logistics, 3) food security and production priorities, and 4) trade policy. Engagement with agricultural industry leaders revealed optimism despite uncertainty and a universal desire for action to facilitate productive trade with China and beyond.

The post The Future of Food and Agricultural Trade with China appeared first on Farm Foundation.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created increased pressure on global food systems, limiting supply and driving up prices of many key foodstuffs. However, pressure on global food systems was already significant, driven by rising demand and production challenges around the world.

This global challenge requires local solutions, with food producers being called on to find sustainable ways to meet growing global demand. This webinar explored current dynamics within the global food system and considered what policy solutions could be implemented in Canada, the United States and around the world.

This discussion was moderated by Farm Foundation President and CEO, Shari Rogge-Fidler. Lee Ann Jackson, Agro-food Trade and Markets head of division, OECD, provided an opening presentation, followed by a panel discussion featuring:

Kip Tom
Former US  United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture,
Chief of the United States Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome from 2019 to 2021,
Managing member, Tom Farms, and Farm Foundation Round Table Fellow

Rick White
President and CEO, Canadian Canola Growers Association,
Chair, International Agri-Food Network

Murad Al-Katib
President and CEO, AGT Foods

This webinar builds on collaboration between the Farm Foundation and CAPI, including the Trade and Climate Change conference in 2021, Trade and the Environment (2020), and Trade in an Increasingly Chaotic World (2019).

The webinar was recorded and may be viewed at the link below.

The post CAPI Dialogue on Agriculture and Food Security: Global Challenges and Local Solutions appeared first on Farm Foundation.

OAK BROOK, Ill.—Farm Foundation^®, an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture, will host its next virtual Forum, 2022 Economic Outlook for Agriculture, on Thursday, December 16 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. CDT.

Gregg Doud, Vice President of Global Situational Awareness & Chief Economist at Aimpoint Research, will moderate the panel, which will include diverse perspectives from these expert contributors:

• Kanlaya Barr, Senior Economist, John Deere
• Amanda Countryman, Associate Professor, Colorado State University
• Harry Vroomen, Vice President of Economic Services, The Fertilizer Institute
• Dan Basse, President – AgResource Company

The session will last two hours, during which the panel will explore a look ahead at what farmers, agribusiness leaders, and others in the food and ag sectors can expect to see with respect to ag markets, trade, equipment, and the economics of rising input costs in 2022. Audience members will have the opportunity to submit questions for the panelists to answer live during the event.

This event is being held virtually and is free to attend, but registration is required. Farmers, ranchers, food and agribusiness leaders, government officials and staff, industry representatives, NGO representatives, academics, students in agricultural disciplines and members of the media are all encouraged to attend. Register here.

The post Farm Foundation® Forum on Outlook for Ag Markets and Trade to be Held December 16 appeared first on Farm Foundation.