Recent Meetings

High-Value Foods

ERS cosponsored a workshop, Global Markets for High-Value Food, with the Food Industry Center (University of Minnesota) and the Farm Foundation in February 2003. The workshop brought together researchers, business people, and policymakers to discuss global markets for high-value food products, such as fresh produce, meats, and processed products. Topics covered include global food market dynamics, consumers' changing preferences, innovations and changes in the supply structure, and government's role in high-value food markets.

Issues in Food Assistance

ERS hosted a conference, Food Assistance Research: Recent Findings and Emerging Issues, in February 2003, with the goal of identifying emerging needs in food and nutrition assistance research. The first day of the conference was devoted to child nutrition reauthorization and related research issues, while the second day focused on food stamps. Mark Prell

Understanding Market Segmentation

The U.S. grain and oilseed sector is moving away from production and marketing of generic commodities and toward more product differentiation and market segmentation. ERS and the Farm Foundation sponsored a conference, Product Differentiation and Market Segmentation in Grains and Oilseeds: Implications for an Industry in Transition, in late January 2003. The symposium explored the determinants of market segmentation and the implications for growers, handlers, processors, and consumers.