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1994 C-FARE Annual Report

Walter J. Armbruster, Chair

The Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics (C-FARE) was created in July, 1993 to strengthen the national presence of the agricultural economics profession by identifying key economic issues, establishing priorities, and seeking support for research, extension, and academic instruction; by working with other professions and organizations; and to communicate agricultural economics contributions to solving important societal issues.
In 1994, C-FARE was active in many exciting and interesting activities. We worked for the betterment of the agricultural economics profession in four key areas:

1. Establishing linkages with funding and priority setting organizations;
2. Contributing to public and private sector decisions;
3. Identifying important economic issues;
4. Outreach to other areas.

The following paragraphs review each of the four areas.

1) Establishing linkages with funding and priority setting organizations

C-FARE has established linkages with funding and priority setting organizations and institutions for the benefit of the entire profession:

• Developed a working relationship with the National Research Initiative's (NRI) Chief Scientist and the CSREES (previously CSRS) staff to create opportunities for agricultural economists to provide input on NRI requests for and evaluation of research proposals. Provided names of agricultural economists to serve as either members of NRI review panels, or as ad hoc reviewers of research proposals in all NRI research divisions.
  
• Provided input to the Chair of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee on the general importance of agricultural economics research in the NRI.
  
• Alerted agricultural economists of opportunities to provide input related to the reorganization of USDA and economics staffing.
  
• Assisted with the preparation of testimony to the House Subcommittee on Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies about support for social science research.
  
• Developed a list of reviewers for the ECOP/ESCOP working groups investigating issues likely to be critical in the 1995 Farm Bill.
  
• Provided suggestions on agricultural economics topics for consideration in the Council of Agricultural, Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) Budget Committee deliberations.
  

2) Contributing to public and private sector decisions

C-FARE has initiated efforts to help agricultural economists contribute more effectively to public and private sector decisions:

• Established linkages with House and Senate Agriculture Committee Staff to identify opportunities for agricultural economists to provide input on policy issues. Responded to several requests from these staffs by making referrals to agricultural economics specialists and/or supplying relevant agricultural economics studies.
  
• Established contact with and provided input to the President's Council of Economic Advisors and the Office of Management and Budget to make them aware of C-FARE.
  
• Co-sponsored several events at the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA) annual meeting including a preconference entitled "Extending Agricultural Economics Results through the Media," and a symposium and a free-session entitled "Industrialization of Agriculture: What Role for Policy?" in which more than 100 participated.
  
• Initiated a database of agricultural economics experts who are willing to provide timely input on policy questions.

3) Identifying important economic issues

C-FARE has helped to identify and publicize important emerging economic issues within the research, extension, academic instruction, and policy analysis agendas:

• Identified the industrialization of agriculture as an important emerging issue.
• Published a white paper on industrialization.
• Organized a symposium on the "Industrialization of Agriculture: Policy, Research, and Education Needs" held in Washington, D.C. Over 75 individuals representing agribusiness, the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, state and local government, academia, professional societies, and public interest groups explored the implications of agricultural industrialization.
• Published a synopsis of the symposium which was widely distributed to deans of the colleges of agriculture, research and extension directors, hill staff, agricultural media and symposium invitees.
• This project anticipated and stimulated increasing attention in research, extension, and policy analysis to this emerging issue.
• Communicated C-FARE's goals and mission to regional research and extension directors, and called attention to issues related to the industrialization of agriculture and other economic and policy issues.

4) Outreach to other disciplines

C-FARE has worked with other disciplines on issues of mutual concern:

• C-FARE's Washington D.C. Representative serves as a Board member on CoFARM, a politically influential coalition of 18 scientific and professional societies in the applied and basic agricultural sciences. She has been active in promoting and highlighting agricultural economics in this largely biological science domain. Through CoFARM, C-FARE has met with high-level representatives from the Office of Management and Budget, briefed Congressional Science Fellows on the contribution of agricultural economics to policy decisions, and met with the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and the Acting Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics.
• Collaborated with the ESCOP Social Sciences Committee to support the NRI and expand the role of social scientists therein.
• Participated in the Professional Scientific Societies forum of the Board on Agriculture, National Research Council, focusing on the NRI and interdisciplinary research.

C-FARE's Plans for 1995:

• C-FARE will develop opportunities for agricultural economists to provide input to the 1995 Farm Bill debate and other national policy dialogues. For example, even before the new congress was sworn into office, representatives from C-FARE were on Capitol Hill establishing contacts with key committee staff.
• C-FARE plans to hold at least one national symposium on issues critical to agricultural economists such as setting research priorities and/or evaluating returns to agricultural research. The latter topic is of particular interest to all scientific disciplines and administrators in today's budget accountability climate.
• C-FARE will hold a workshop with NRI staff to cultivate and strengthen ties so that agricultural economics contributions are considered across research divisions. As was done in 1994, C-FARE will recommend names of agricultural economists to serve as either members of review panels, or as ad hoc reviewers of research proposals in all NRI research divisions.
• C-FARE will work to enhance the effectiveness of the agricultural and related sciences and the agricultural economics profession by identifying key economic issues, establishing priorities, and seeking support for research, extension, and resident instruction.
• C-FARE will continue to promote and communicate agricultural economics contributions to solving important societal issues.

Current Issues
June 2009