Recent Meetings

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.

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