Agricultural Economics Profession Research Articles

An overview of the history, role, and struggles of agricultural economics and business programs at 1890 Land‐Grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)

AbstractBlacks have been systematically under‐represented in the Agricultural Economics profession, representing only 7% of agricultural economists in academia and between 5% and 10% in the private and public sectors, respectively. Although different policies and funding strategies have been implemented to increase the representation of minorities in the profession, these numbers have not shown significant improvements over time. This paper provides an overview of the history, role, and struggles of 1890 Land‐Grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities in general, and in particular, their agricultural economics and business (AEB) Programs. Recommendations and thoughts on how to increase diversity in AEB programs are also discussed.

The future of research on sustainable food systems: Building an early‐career network of agricultural economists in Europe

AbstractThe agricultural economics profession plays an essential role in the transition towards more sustainable and resilient food systems. The interdisciplinary perspective of the profession, the rapidly evolving methods and new data, as well as the diverse agricultural, climatic, and political and cultural landscapes of the European Union member states and associated countries pose specific challenges. In this study, we summarize what this implies for Early‐Career researchers and how the European Network of Early Career Agricultural Economists (AgEconMeet) tries to support these youngsters in their career development. Finally, we introduce the articles of this special issue that represent the diverse landscape of agricultural economics in Europe. [EconLit Citations: A11, Q1, Q18].

Agricultural Economics in the JAE: Some Editorial Reflections

AbstractOn retirement from the post of Editor in Chief of the JAE, it is appropriate that I offer some reflections on my editorship. First, I review the general performance of the journal over the period 2005‐2023, and conclude that the JAE has held its own amongst our peers though this is is largely due to our authors and reviewers, rather than the Editor. Second, I consider the subject matter and citation scores of our published papers over this period, as a reflection of the evolution of the state of the art of the Agricultural Economics profession. Here, I illustrate the increasing number and subject/method range of published papers, but raise some questions about what, exactly, citations really indicate. I conclude with some reflections on the challenges and opportunities for the profession.

Improving Agricultural Policy Decisions through Replications

SummaryCurrently, policy decisions are often made based on untested scientific results. Replication studies repeat previously published research and, thus, are an effective way to test the validity and reliability of research studies, as well as to test the potential for generalisations of such studies. Replications can contribute to improved policy decisions and thus more efficient use of resources. To date, very few replications of research in agricultural economics are available and the incentives to engage in replications are low. Moreover, the conditions for replicating studies are poor. For example, published articles often lack full transparency in terms of documentation, data and computer code. This Point de Vue highlights the advantages of striving for conditions that facilitate replication studies and foster such a culture in agricultural economics. Policymakers could explicitly invite and support replications of studies that are key for good policymaking. To this end, they can address both demand‐side and supply‐side problems of replications, for example, by inviting, valuing and supporting replications of policy‐relevant analyses and by providing institutional and legal infrastructure facilitating open science and replications. With this, policy can support the agricultural economics profession, while agricultural economists can support sound policymaking, both reaping the benefits of a more transparent research culture.

On the robustness/replication of econometric analyses from nonlinear models using various commonplace software packages

AbstractBecause replicability is an important part of every scientific endeavor, this research deals with comparing and contrasting parameter estimates, standard errors, and p‐values from the estimation of five commonly encountered nonlinear models in applied econometrics. Commonplace software packages indigenous to econometrics and statistics are used, namely EVIEWS 11.0, SAS 9.4, Stata 17, and R 4.1.2 in five replication exercises to determine potential differences, if any, in empirical results. The hypothesis that mainstream software packages generate different empirical results in the estimation of nonlinear models is confirmed for the polynomial distributed lag (PDL) model and the GARCH(1,1) model. For the probit model and the Barten synthetic demand system model, the differences in parameter estimates, standard errors, and p‐values are less evident across the four commonly used software packages. For the Tobit model, the respective sets of parameter estimates, standard errors, and p‐values are nearly identical across the respective software packages. Economic analysts should not just accept estimation results uncritically, but instead, conduct sensitivity analyses involving the use of at least two software packages. The agricultural economics profession should adopt this recommendation as standard practice.

Full‐cost accounting and redefining the cost of food: Implications for agricultural economics research

AbstractFood systems have significant externalities that are not reflected in market prices. A first step to correct parts of these externalities is to make them transparent through “true‐” or full‐cost accounting. Estimates of the external health and environmental costs of food systems at a global level suggest that they may be about two times larger than food valued at market prices, that is, about 20 trillion US$ of externalities versus 9 trillion US$ of food value in the markets. The agricultural economics profession is challenged to move the true cost research agenda forward by identifying realistic pathways for internalizing some of the large food system externalities. Moving from true cost accounting (TCA) to policy action needs to involve citizens and policy‐making bodies because internalizing externalities requires buy‐in. This relates for instance, to policy instruments such as product labeling, nudging, and differential taxes and subsidies to incentivize healthy diets and disincentivize food waste. Agricultural economics will need to accompany the implementation of any true cost approaches with scrutiny in terms of the efficiency, welfare, ecological, and distributional effects of such policies.

How women saved agricultural economics

AbstractWomen entered agricultural economics in numbers starting in the 1980s, and their ranks are increasing over time. We make the case that women have increased the relevance in the field of agricultural economics through their diverse interests, perspectives, and experiences. We document how women have changed the profession of agricultural economics in both academia and government. In research, women have expanded the field's treatment of non‐traditional topics such as food safety and nutrition and environmental and natural resource economics. In this sense, women saved the profession from a future as a specialty narrowly focused on agricultural production and markets.

Fostering a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Canadian agricultural economics profession

AbstractThe Canadian agricultural economics profession, like much of society, is faced with the important challenge of how to effectively achieve aspirational goals of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). I argue that the Canadian agricultural economics society (CAES) will benefit from integrating EDI into our core mission and key activities. I focus on a select set of issues that I believe will further this effort. Given the critical role of scholarly merit and merit‐based systems and processes in the CAES mandate and activities, I also explore how meritocracy and scholarly merit can be aligned with EDI principles. The paper concludes with suggestions and recommendations for consideration by the CAES.

Reflections on a Career as an Industrial Organization and International Economist

AbstractIn this article, I reflect on my career in the agricultural economics profession as a researcher who has focused predominantly on the synthesis of two fields in economics: industrial organization and international trade. In that context, I consider my main contribution to have been in analyzing the impact of public policy where imperfect competition matters in the food and agricultural marketing system, be it in either the horizontal or vertical market dimensions. In addition, I have also paid considerable attention to incorporating market structure into empirical analysis of food and agricultural trade.

Early Analytical Agricultural Economics in Australia

Analysis of home consumption pricing by Giblin and Copland in the 1930s preceded the development of an identifiable Australian agricultural economics profession. They demonstrated that costs of increasing domestic prices of agricultural products above export levels would be borne largely by lightly assisted exporters and hinder their development. This work was taken up later within a framework of computable general equilibrium modelling. Now largely of historical interest, their work sheds light on likely consequences of some past policy debates ‑ of protection all round in the 1920s and tariff compensation in the 1970s.

How to run an experimental auction: a review of recent advances

AbstractIn this paper, we review recent advances in experimental auctions and provide practical advice and guidelines for researchers. We focus on issues related to randomisation to treatment and causal identification of treatment effects, design issues such as selection between different elicitation formats, multiple auction groups in a single session and house money effects. We also discuss sample size and power analysis issues in relation to recent trends in experimental research about pre-registration and pre-analysis plans. We position our discussion with respect to how the agricultural economics profession could benefit from practices adapted in the experimental economics community. We then present the pros and cons of moving auction studies from the laboratory to the field and review the recent literature on behavioural factors that have been identified as important for auction outcomes.

Antipodean agricultural and resource economics at 60: climate change policy and energy transition

The Australian and New Zealand agricultural and resource economics profession has made a significant contribution in the field of climate policy and analysis of the energy sector. Much of this contribution has been based on quantitative economic modelling which had its roots in the earlier computable general equilibrium modelling on domestic policy and trade in which the profession was heavily involved from the 1970s onwards. By far the largest share of model development and analysis has been sponsored by government and conducted in the public sector, but in more recent years, there has been some shift into the private sector. However, the trend to the use of much more complex integrated assessment models in assessing the impacts of climate change and responses to new policy instruments raises the issue of whether more government support of quantitative modelling will be required in future.

Innovative Teaching Methods: Evolutions Spanning a 25-Year Career

I begin my presentation at today’s “Southern Agricultural Economics Association’s (SAEA) Lifetime Achievement Award Winners’ Symposium” by thanking those who made this award possible. Thank you to members of the selection committee and to my nominator, Dr. Michael Wetzstein, and recommenders, Drs. Steve Blank, Eduardo Seggara, and GailCramer. These individuals have seen me “grow up” in the agricultural economics profession and I am grateful for their guidance, wisdom,and friendship. I am also grateful to the members of the SAEA and the manyopportunities the Association has provided, including serving as an officer for six years and coeditor of the Association’s Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics with Virginia Tech (VT) colleague, Darrell Bosch, for the past three years.

WAEA Presidential Address: Deciding Where to Publish: Some Observations on Journal Impact Factor and Article Influence Score

This article provides the history underlying the journal impact factor and weaknesses of this measure to evaluate journal quality. The Eigenfactor and Article Influence Scores are suggested as an improved way to compare research quality and impact across disciplines. The network analysis underlying the Eigenfactor approach suggests the agricultural and natural resource economics profession can have a larger impact on the scientific community by directing more research effort towards interdisciplinary work. The Article Influence approach is used to develop a seven-tier system to evaluate research quality, to be used either to guide individual faculty about where to publish their research or to evaluate the research portfolio of a department.

Agricultural economics: an exoteric or esoteric science?

ABSTRACT The main argument in this article is that agricultural economists in South Africa must address at least two fundamental questions, namely: (1) “What is the influence of public policy on the structure of agriculture?” and (2) “What is the influence of the governance of farm businesses on their success from a financial, economic, social and environmental point of view?” These questions have been at the core of the profession of agricultural economics since its beginning, but if agricultural economists want to provide useful answers they will need to revisit the currently dominant paradigm of applied microeconomics. As a profession, agricultural economists have not kept pace with a number of new developments in economics; have ignored the lessons of history; have lost their connection with the everyday realities of farming; and have paid insufficient attention to new developments in systems thinking.

Agricultural Economics and Interdisciplinary Work

Before getting to the main substance of this paper, I’d like to express my gratitude to the Southern Agricultural Economics Association for the honor of receiving the Lifetime Achievement award. Throughout my career, I’ve enjoyed the support of the Association and would encourage all folks beginning their careers to stay connected to our professional organizations. In addition to outlets for research, the professional associations provide opportunities for informal information exchange, service, and networking. I’d also like to thank colleagues both within the agricultural economics profession and outside it and my students past and present for making my career rewarding. I’d especially like to thank Dr. James Richardson, my one-time dissertation advisor and long-time mentor and friend, for giving me the foundation to conduct and publish applied research. Additionally, I would like to thank Dr. Ron Kay, from whom I learned a great deal about teaching during that long-ago year I spent as his teaching assistant. Teaching has proven to be one of the most rewarding and also one of the most challenging aspects of my career, and I was immensely thankful to have come to my job at Auburn having benefited from my association with a master teacher.

Spatial Approaches to Panel Data in Agricultural Economics: A Climate Change Application

Panel data are used in almost all subfields of the agricultural economics profession. Furthermore, many research areas have an important spatial dimension. This article discusses some of the recent contributions made in the evolving theoretical and empirical literature on spatial econometric methods for panel data. We then illustrate some of these tools within a climate change application using a hedonic model of farmland values and panel data. Estimates for the model are provided across a range of nonspatial and spatial estimators, including spatial error and spatial lag models with fixed and random effects extensions. Given the importance of location and extensive use of panel data in many subfields of agricultural economics, these recently developed spatial panel methods hold great potential for applied researchers.

Organization, Financing and the Latest Trends in Agricultural Economics Research in the USA

The objective of his article has been dictated by the interests of the agricultural economics profession in Poland as it adjusts to the ever changing system of public support of its research and teaching programs. Learning how similar issues have been approached by their colleagues in other countries offers insights into the applied solution and the adjustments required to effectively perform the two functions and continue to serve public at large, the food and fiber sector and policy makers.

From Farm Management to Agricultural and Applied Economics: The Expansion of a Professional Society as Seen Through a Census of its Dissertations From 1951 to 2005

AbstractThe authors provide a historical census of all 7,967 graduated doctoral students in agricultural economics from U.S. programs between 1951 and 2005. They provide the first comprehensive study of the history and current state of the highest degree of the agricultural economics profession, show how the degree and the journals in which dissertation research is published have changed over time, and discuss how the profession has evolved from farm economics to an agricultural and other applied economics fields.

The Status of Agricultural Economics Profession: Evidence from Graduate Education

The Status of Agricultural Economics Profession: Evidence from Graduate Education