Agricultural Policy Conference 2020
What Should We Be Studying?
Overview
The purpose of this research group is to foster greater communication between the disciplines of Agricultural Economics and Political Science. It is apparent that such an exchange is necessary in order to improve scholarly research on agriculture policy and any subsequent policy recommendations.
For two disciplines working on (ostensibly) the same issues, there is very little communication between and among scholars. Three years ago, we began this project with a generous grant from the USDA and assembled in New Orleans to begin the process of building connections and avenues for cooperation and collaboration between disciplines. With one successful conference behind us, we have once again worked with the USDA to offer a second conference in what we hope will be an ongoing series.
As we gather virtually this year, we turn an eye to those areas of agriculture policy that are most pressing for stakeholders in government, industry, and academia. Our papers this year represent the latest in agriculture policy research from a diverse group of scholars. Each presentation will be discussed by both an economist and a political scientist. We are fortunate to also be joined by top executives from Sanderson Farms at 4pm on Saturday the 17th.
Sanderson Farms is the nation’s third-largest poultry producer and the state of Mississippi’s only Fortune 1000 corporation. Our guests from Sanderson Farms will discuss the linkages between industry, government, and academia—as well as answer any questions our participants have about these linkages.
Our overarching goal is to ensure that the next generation of scholars will be producing both high-quality and high-impact research. This year’s conference is an important step in reaching that goal.
If you have any questions about the research group or the conference, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Cheers,
Joe Weinberg
Associate Professor of Political Science
The University of Southern Mississippi
Joseph.Weinberg@usm.edu
Schedule
Friday, October 16, 2020
PANEL ONE, 2:00 p.m. (CST)
Michel Robe, “Export Bans and Price Volatility Expectations: Theory and Evidence from Agricultural Markets”
Matthieu Stigler, “Farm or Index insurance ? New Insights from Satellite Data”
Jisang Yu, “The Incidence of Foreign Market Accessibility on Farmland Rental Rates”
Frederick Clerson, “Involving Farmers Groups in The Determination of the Level of Farm Income Support Policies: Learning from Quebec's Farm Income Stabilization Insurance Program”
Discussants: Dr. Clay Webb, Dr. Marc Bellemare
PANEL TWO, 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Nathan Hendricks, “The Effect of Agricultural Policy Distortions on Supply and Productivity”
Gregory Perry, The Political Economy of State Agricultural Experiment Station Funding
Patrick Hatzenbuehler, “A Regional Assessment of Changes in Farm Size and Economic Conditions in the U.S.”
Discussants: Dr. Keith Coble, Dr. Thomas Oatley, Dr. Zoe Plakias, Dr. Bolek Kabala
Saturday, October 17, 2020
PANEL THREE, 10:00 a.m. (CST)
Jennifer Ifft, “Nontraditional Finance in U.S. Agriculture: Overview and NE Case Study”
Craig Gundersen, “A Proposal to Reconstruct the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into a Universal Basic Income Program for Food”
Jeffry Michler, “Contract Farming for Staple Crops: Evidence from a Field Experiment”
Margaret Jodlowski, “Behind Every Farmer: Off-farm labor and farm viability in the United States”
Discussants: Dr. Metin Cakir, Dr. Zoe Plakias, Dr. Joe Weinberg
PANEL FOUR, 12 p.m. (CST)
Anna Josephson, “Stronger Together? Understanding Collaborative Household Behavior and Joint Farm Production”
Nguyen Vuong, “Income Shock and Food Insecurity Prediction: Vietnam under the Pandemic”
Nathan Fiala, “The Supply Chain for Seed in Uganda: Where Does It Go Wrong?”
Chris M. Boyd, “Urgent Yet Ineffective? The Welfare Impacts of Potato Price Stabilization in Peru”
Discussants: Nguyen Vuong, Dr. Craig Gundersen, Dr. Patrick Egan
PANEL FIVE, 2:00 p.m. (CST)
Saleem Shaik, “Does Variability in Traditional (Title I) and Crop Insurance (Title X) Programs Affect Efficiency and Productivity?”
Zoe Plakias, “Healthy Food, Healthy Farms? Implications of Healthy Food Policies for Agricultural Value”
Aparna Howlader, “Environmental Recovery after the Dust Bowl: Implication of Land Conservation Programs in the Great Plains
Will Martin, “Impacts of COVID-19 on Global Poverty, Food Security and Diets”
Discussants: Dr. Aparna Howlader, Dr. Craig Gundersen, Dr. Michael Cobb
PANEL SIX, 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Sanderson Farms Roundtable Q & A
Mike Cockrell, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Steve Monroe, Director of Export Sales
Ed Chisholm, Director of Operations