Competing
Policy Issues and Agendas for Agricultural Trade
In September 2003, ERS and the Farm Foundation are cosponsoring
a 1-day agricultural
trade conference: “WTO: Competing Policy Issues and Agendas for Agricultural
Trade.” The conference will bring together researchers, policymakers, and
industry representatives to discuss issues surrounding the WTO trade talks. Topics
include reforms to the European Union’s (EU) Common Agricultural Policy,
EU enlargement, analytical tools for trade agreements, effects of trade liberalization,
and emerging issues in trade policy. The conference will be held immediately
prior to a general trade policy conference at the Woodrow Wilson International
Trade Center sponsored by various U.S. Government agencies, including ERS, the
U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. International Trade Commission. Suchada
Langley
ERS Hosts
Water Resources Research Coordinating Committee
In June 2003, ERS hosted a meeting of the interagency Water
Resources Research Coordinating Committee, attended by
representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey,
NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Forest Service.
Carol A. Jones, Marcel Aillery, and Marc Ribaudo presented an overview of ERS
research on water, highlighting areas in which ERS research complements the
natural science research conducted by the other agencies
represented at the meeting. Carol A. Jones
Workshop
on Farm Savings Accounts and the Farm Safety Net
In June 2003, ERS, USDA’s Risk
Management Agency, and the Farm Foundation sponsored a workshop
on farm savings
accounts and their potential to assist farmers
in managing variability in farm income. Workshop attendees examined existing
farm savings account programs in Canada and Australia and interacted with others
currently researching the role of farm savings accounts in the U.S. farm safety
net. Workshop sessions also included an assessment of current saving and investment
behavior of farm households, an analysis of the variability of farm income
for various farm types and sizes, and a perspective on
various proposals for farm
savings accounts in the U.S. Ron Durst
