Globalization and Restructuring in Rural America

In June 2005, ERS and Farm Foundation hosted a workshop in Washington, DC, on "Globalization and Restructuring in Rural America." Technological breakthroughs, changes in consumer preferences, and global factors have transformed how and where goods are produced. In addition, industries that once evolved over a generation to meet new competitive challenges are now expected to restructure every few years. The critical policy challenge is finding ways to smooth the progress of welfare-enhancing structural change while reclaiming the productive potential of workers and communities bearing the costs of job loss and local economic contraction. This workshop brought together community leaders, policy officials, program administrators, and researchers concerned with rural economy issues, displaced worker issues, and trade issues. Participants gained a broader understanding of how global economic forces impact rural communities, and how government responses might assist in economic restructurings. Papers are available at: http://www.farmfoundation.org/projects/05-22restructuringofruralamerica.htm. Karen Hamrick.

Bridging the Gap—1890 and 1862 Land Grant Institutions

FAMU Library

In June 2005, ERS hosted a workshop, "Bridging the Gap Between 1890 and 1862 Land Grant Institutions' Agricultural Economics Programs," sponsored by the Committee on the Opportunities and Status of Blacks in Agricultural Economics, a section of the American Agricultural Economics Association. Funded by ERS and USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, the workshop focused on the state of agricultural economics in 1890, 1862, and other private institutions; the under-representation of minorities in graduate agricultural economics programs, academia, and other research professions; and strategies to bridge the gap between the various institutions' teaching, research, and extension programs. Workshop participants developed a series of recommendations aimed at fostering collaboration among institutions in research, teaching, and extension. Christopher Davis and Keithly Jones.

Farm and Rural Economies Face Challenges

In June 2005, ERS and the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy co-sponsored a workshop entitled Farm Policy and the Rural Economy: Alternative Approaches to the Economic Challenges, in Washington, DC. Researchers and policymakers discussed the impact of traditional farm policy on farm households and the rural economy, explored new approaches to farm and rural development policy, and framed key issues that will be considered in the next farm bill. Workshop presentations are available at: http://www.ncfap.org. Betsey Kuhn.