2026 C-FARE/GSS Policy Competition Announces Two First-Place Winners

C-FARE is pleased to recognize two tied first-place winners of the 2026 C-FARE/GSS Policy Competition, a collaboration with the AAEA Graduate Student Section (GSS) that highlights graduate student research addressing timely agricultural and resource economics policy challenges.

Congratulations to Rundong Peng and Shelby Sumner on their first-place policy briefs, which examine two important challenges facing the U.S. beef industry: climate-related supply shocks and animal disease risks.

The Role of International Trade as a Buffer to Climate Shock in the U.S. Beef Market by Rundong Peng

Droughts can force domestic producers to liquidate their beef cow herds, affecting the supply and price of ground beef in subsequent years. In his policy brief, Rundong Peng examines the role international trade could play in helping the U.S. beef market respond to these climate-related supply shocks.

Ground beef in the United States is typically a blend of domestic beef and imported beef trimmings, with imported trimmings generally providing lean beef. Peng argues that imports of lean beef could play a larger role in stabilizing ground beef prices during periods of severe domestic herd contraction, but current imports are constrained by a tariff-rate quota (TRQ). His policy recommendation is to reconsider the structure of the TRQ so that it could temporarily permit higher levels of lean beef imports during severe herd contractions, while continuing to insulate domestic producers from foreign competition during normal market conditions.

New World Screwworm & Live Cattle Import Closures from Mexico: Delaying the Inevitable? by Shelby Sumner

The resurgence of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico has raised important concerns for the U.S. cattle industry. In response, the United States enacted two separate bans on imports of live cattle from Mexico beginning in November 2024.

Shelby Sumner's policy brief examines the intended and unintended consequences of these import closures. While the bans were designed to prevent the spread of NWS into the United States, they have also created challenges for the domestic beef cattle industry. The brief considers the implications of these restrictions and the policy questions surrounding the management of NWS and live cattle imports from Mexico.

C-FARE congratulates Rundong Peng and Shelby Sumner on their first-place recognition and thanks Margaret Lippsmeyer, Chair of the AAEA Graduate Student Section, for her leadership and efforts in making the 2026 C-FARE/GSS Policy Competition a success.