The AAEA—Issues and Answers

Abstract

The American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA) is a voluntary organization with about 4,000 members. The membership is extremely diverse. The only requirements for membership are an interest in agricultural economics and a membership fee of $25. The organization was formed in 1919 by a merger of the American Farm Management Association and the American Association of Agricultural Economists. As recently as the early 1960s, being an agricultural economist was equivalent to being a member of this Association. Since that time, the growing number of subspecialties and the increased remoteness of agricultural economists from agricultural policy has perhaps weakened the Association. Some observers feel that only about half of all practicing agricultural economists in this nation are members of the AAEA. Recent AAEA presidents have made concerted efforts to increase the effectiveness of the Association so that all practicing agricultural economists will perceive some identifiable personal gain stemming from membership. These efforts have been thwarted by an amazing gulf that separates those who manage the Association from the dues-paying members. The Association is managed by a volunteer, elected president and a volunteer Board consisting of six elected members, the immediate past-president, the president-elect, an appointed secretary-treasurer, and an appointed editor of the Association's journal (American Journal of Agricultural Economics). The Board is assisted by a number of standing and special committees. The lines of communication between the Board and the members are well defined but narrow; the linkages between the committees and the membership at large is very tenuous. Some committees operate with almost no input other than the experience and intuition of their own members. Other committees use extensive surveys to gather information and input. The late 1970s will be a time of introspection and action for the Association. This session provided an opportunity for members to make an input into questions and ideas that maintain and run the Association. The session was conceived in 1976 at The Pennsylvania State University when President Farrell approached the Professional Activities Committee to ask if it would supervise a segment of the program during which members could raise questions and talk about their concerns for the Association.