AAEA Blog

Members in the News: April 13, 2026

2026-04-13T13:15:12.954-05:00

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“India’s Farm Productivity Puzzle Lies in Distorted Land Markets”

By: Basis Point Insight – April 8, 2026

“It is now well known that agricultural productivity in India is very low. Despite overall economic progress, agricultural productivity in India remains extremely low compared to developed countries, with output per worker only a small fraction of that in the United States.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Basis Point Insight

William Burke, Michigan State University

“Rising Oil Prices Threaten Global Food Security”

By: KTVU – April 6, 2026

“Global food costs keep climbing, and farmers are feeling the squeeze. The U.N.’s FAO reports another jump in prices, while the U.S. exports phosphate fertilizers even as domestic shortages hit spring planting. William Burke, an agricultural economist, at The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, gives insight.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: KTVU

Andrew Muhammad, University of Tennessee

“Why Is 95 Percent of the World’s Bourbon Made in Kentucky?”
By: Freakonomics – April 3, 2026
“U.S. Farmers Face ‘New Era of Trade Deficits’ as Global Markets Shift”
By: Farm Progress – April 2, 2026

Seungki Lee, The Ohio State University

“The Iran War is Changing How Millions of People Cook — And What They Eat”

By: Grist – April 6, 2026

“Because of the economic strain created by the conflict, nation-level progress toward the U.N.’s sustainable development targets, for example, are more likely to see at least a short-term regression on the aim to transition billions of households away from using coal, kerosene, or solid biomass as primary cooking fuels.”

(Continued...)
Read more on:Grist

Charles Martinez, University of Tennessee

“Should Market Data Add a Beef x Dairy Category?”

By: Feedstuffs – February 24, 2026

“Beef on dairy has always been available as a backup strategy for dairy producers to maintain operations during slumps of dairy prices. But the current landscape has producers using artificial insemination to make genetic-based decisions for dairy production while also intentionally using semen from beef bulls to produce calves to market as beef.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Feedstuffs

Cesar Escalante, University of Georgia

“Expanding H-2A Farmworker Program Could Increase Health, Safety Risks”

By: PNS – April 8, 2026

“Native-born workers will only work for one day or half a day, and then they quit… They cannot tolerate the working conditions.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: PNS

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Grocery Prices Rise, But These Staples Are Getting Cheaper”

By: USA Today - April 8, 2026

“There have been several "shocks" that have affected the agricultural and food industry, such as bird flu devastating the egg markets, climate-driven droughts hammering coffee and fresh produce production and tariffs layering additional costs onto import-heavy categories. These shocks hit products in different ways, which is why you get such a mixed picture when you look item by item. But the net result is that families are still paying more at the register."

(Continued...)
Read more on: USA Today

Christopher Wolf, Cornell University

“‘The Good Old Days Are Gone’: How Will US Prices Stand As War in Iran Surges On?”

By: The Guardian – April 4, 2026

“Along with oil prices, diesel and fertilizer prices are also rising, which are critical to farming. That makes both the cost of growing crops and raising livestock more expensive.”

(Continued...)
Read more on:The Guardian

Jeffrey Dorfman, North Carolina State University

“Diesel and Fertilizer Cost Spikes Put Squeeze on NC Corn Farmers”

By: Carolina Public Press – April 6, 2026

“Higher oil and fertilizer prices may encourage farmers to shift some acres away from corn. Soybeans, which require less fertilizer and are more forgiving when it comes to drought, are a logical replacement. In general, these higher prices mean a 3-5 percent increase in production costs for most crops, which is very unwelcome after production costs have already risen about 65 percent in the last five years.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Carolina Public Press

Joshua Maples, Mississippi State University

“Rising Fuel And Fertilizer Costs Are Hitting U.S. Producers Differently, With Smaller Operations Feeling the Squeeze”

By: Brownfield – April 9, 2026

“Larger producers likely purchased fuel and fertilizer at the end of 2025. However, I would say a lot of smaller producers don’t do that. And so this is a spot here where we may see a bit of differences between size of operation and the relative impact it has on their operation.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Brownfield

Richard Volpe, California Polytechnical State University

"Why Tomato Prices Are Rising and Driving Grocery Inflation"

By: Axios - April 10, 2026

"The U.S. imports a large share of its tomatoes, and tariffs are being passed through fairly cleanly. There are few players in the supply chain with the capacity to absorb losses. While prices typically rise this time of year, the current spike is larger than usual."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Axios

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Members in the News: April 6, 2026

2026-04-06T14:06:07.972-05:00

Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnical State University

“Unilever's Sale to McCormick is About More Than Just Mayo”

By: Marketplace – March 31, 2026

“Folks have been increasingly moving towards more prepared and ready-to-eat foods, the perimeter of the supermarket… With especially younger Americans, we've seen brand loyalty eroded in a big way.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Marketplace

Rabail Chandio, Iowa State University

“Annual ISU Farmland Survey Predicts Short-Term Stability, Long-Term Growth”
By: Decorah Leader – January 7, 2026
“Northwest Iowa Continues to Lead State in Farmland Values”
By: KTIV News 4 – January 21, 2026

Miguel Gomez, Cornell University

“The Hidden Cost of Viral Food Trends”

By: Bloomberg – March 29, 2026

“Social media has turned niche foods into global sensations at unprecedented speed, sending demand for products like matcha, ube, acai and Dubai chocolate far beyond their traditional markets… Influencers can create demand spikes that supply chains struggle to meet, exposing farmers and producers to volatility and quality risks. In matcha, the surge has been especially intense.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Bloomberg

Kenneth Burdine, University of Kentucky

“Declines in U.S. Corn Acres Could Pressure Feed Prices and Create Headwinds for the Livestock Sector”

By: Brownfield – March 30, 2026

“Tighter margins were already pointing to increased soybean acres. The recent run up in fertilizer prices have changed this even more. The story to me is that we’re going to see a decrease in corn acres. We’re going to see it shift other crops. It’s a question of how significant that decrease is, and I think it’ll be relatively significant.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Brownfield

Scott Irwin, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“As Prices Soar, EPA Greenlights Higher Ethanol Blends in Gasoline”

By: Inside Climate News – March 25, 2026

“I expect relatively slow growth in the U.S. ethanol blend rate from where it is now, about 10.5 percent. But regardless of what the path is, I do think it will be upward, and it’s important to remember that each 10th that the ethanol blend rate increases, that raises domestic U.S. ethanol demand by about 130 million gallons. So even small improvements in the blend rate do matter.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Inside Climate News

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Fresh Food Distributors Add Surcharges as Fuel Costs Rise”

By: New York Times – March 31, 2026

“We’ve been talking about the price of food for the past five years. Grocery store prices are nearly 30 percent more than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic. Particularly for lower-income households, food is a necessity, and they will protect their food budgets, which means they will cut down on other things like eating out.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: New York Times

Sandro Steinbach, North Dakota State University
Yasin Yildirim, North Dakota State University

“U.S.-China Trade Conflict Harming California Ag”

By: Farm Progress – April 2, 2026

“In aggregate the top 13 California agricultural commodities exported to China fell from an average total annual value of around $1.55 billion in 2024 to $554 million in 2025 – a 64% decline in a single year.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Farm Progress or Imperial Valley Press, ivpressonline.com, News Break, FreshPlaza

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

“‘Could Not Come At a Worse Time’: U.S. Farmers Hit Hard By Economic Fallout of Iran War”

By: MS Now – March 27, 2026

“Before the Strait of Hormuz crisis, the global situation of fertilizer was already extremely tight. So this happened in a very, very bad time. Even if the strait were to open tomorrow, Arita said, fertilizer prices won’t soon recover from the lasting impacts of Gulf suppliers halting production amid the war.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: MS Now or Farms.com

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“How Marriage Markets Drive India's Vanishing Girls Problem”

By: Basis Point Insight – April 3, 2026

“India’s gender imbalance is neither new nor subtle. Skewed sex ratios continue to favour boys, bringing with them consequences that extend beyond demography: a marriage market squeeze, rising trafficking risks, and deeper social strain.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Basis Point Insight

Laura Kalambokidis, University of Minnesota

“Minnesota’s Job Engine Stalled in January”

By: MPR News – April 2, 2026

“We've taken for granted for a while that Minnesota's unemployment rate tends to be below the U.S. unemployment rate. Seeing that change for this one data point, which is January of this year, is an unwelcome development but something that could change. It could reverse.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: MPR News

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Members in the News: March 30, 2026

2026-03-30T14:13:00.001-05:00

Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnical State University

“Iran Roils Loyal GOP Voters”

By: Politico – March 23, 2026

“The waiver could have an effect on the margins but isn’t “a solution to the structural problems caused by the war. The U.S. already makes most of the fertilizer it uses, so the pain points for this year’s season are mostly affecting specific fertilizers we import. The Jones Act might provide a little relief there, but it wouldn’t really address any of the major inflationary concerns I have about the war.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Politico

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

“'It is not too late to turn this around': Minnesota farmers demand trade fix as $50 billion in losses push US agriculture toward 'widespread collapse”

By: MSN Money – March 16, 2026

“Those include the costs for fertilizers, costs for chemicals, for machinery products, for machinery inputs that have run up in inflation over the past few years.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: MSN Money

Sandro Steinbach, North Dakota State University

“UC ANR: U.S.-China Trade Conflict Harms California Farming Communities as New Study Finds a 64% Drop in Value of California Agricultural Exports in 2025”

By: News Break – March 19, 2026

"the top 13 California agricultural commodities exported to China fell from an average total annual value of around $1.55 billion in 2024 to $554 million in 2025 – a 64% decline in a single year."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Sierra Sun Times or Europe Says

Alexis Villacis, The Ohio State University

“Chocolate Candy Becoming A Bitter Pill To Swallow Due To Worldwide Cocoa Shortage”

By: The Main Wire – March 12, 2026

“Chocolate companies are replacing cocoa with other types of things, like more milk or more almonds or other types of coatings. The cocoa shortage is due to environmental challenges across the globe.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Main Wire

Rabail Chandio, Iowa State University

“Ag Land Record Set In Sioux County; NW Iowa Values Highest In State”
By: KWIA Radio – January 2, 2026
“Farmers Still the Ones Buying Farmland”
By: KWIA Radio – December 30, 2025

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“The Economics Cost of Trump’s Migrant Crackdown”
By: Financial Times - March 24, 2026
“Rising Oil Prices Could Increase Food Costs—But Hoarding Groceries ‘Makes a Bad Situation Worse,’ Economist Says”
By: CNBC – March 27, 2206

Jeffrey Dorfman, North Carolina State University

“NC Scholars Among Those Supporting States’ Suit Against Trump Tariffs”

By: Carolina Journal – March 23, 2026

“Contrary to the purpose and limited delegation of Section 122, President Trump has invoked this statute to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses and for whatever reasons he finds convenient.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Carolina Journal

Chad Hart, Iowa State University

“Fertilizer Prices Bring More Pain For American Farmers Amid War in Iran”

By: Channel 3000 – March 23, 2026

“While the broader American economy is on solid footing, the agricultural economy’s been in a recession… Low crop prices over the past three years and rising farm bankruptcies following the pandemic. The crisis in crops is so severe that farmers actually lose money growing corn, oats, rice and other staples.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Channel 3000

Daniel Sumner, University of California, Davis

“How the War in Iran Is Impacting Fertilizer Supplies, Food Prices”

By: KQQED – March 27, 2026

“Farmers don’t get up in the morning and say, holy smoke, I better buy some fertilizer. They will have contracted and actually purchased and taken delivery of fertilizer in the middle of the winter. Much of what we’re talking about with fertilizer will be decisions that people are making months, maybe six months from now, many of them for the 2027 planting decision.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: KQQED

Christopher Barrett, Cornell University

“Raspberry Prices Double, Largely Due to Iran War”

By: Newser – March 27, 2026

"Raspberries are a really nice microcosm of several different economic layers threaded together that were in place before the conflict in Iran. The result: skimpy selection, erratic quality, and sticker shock. One shopper's current strategy: wait for sales—and skip raspberries when "the price is crazy."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Newser

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Members in the News: March 23, 2026

2026-03-23T15:11:02.169-05:00

Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnical State University

“Iran War: Hormuz Crisis Raises Fears For Global Agriculture And Food Security”

By: AA.com – March 1, 2026

“Without a steady supply of high-grade commercial fertilizer, yields really suffer, and that’s going to have direct implications for international agricultural trade and food prices around the world”

(Continued...)
Read more on: AA.com

Martin Smith, Duke University

“This Year's Fish Fry Might Cost More. Blame Tariffs”

By: Marketplace – March 13, 2026

“That’s what I would call a normal year. And we’re not in a normal year. The main cause of that price spike is tariffs. We import roughly 75% of the seafood that Americans consume. So those tariffs are increasing the price of seafood.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Marketplace

Alexandra Hill, University of California, Berkeley

“Farmworkers Lament Loss of Hours and Pay”

By: Morning Ag Clips – March 17, 2026

“By 2022, when the overtime law was partially phased in, farmworkers in California were working three to five hours less per week than a decade prior. On average, their weekly income had declined by $80 to $120.

(Continued...)
Read more on: Morning Ag Clips

Andrew Muhammad, University of Tennessee

“Analyst Says Strategic Trade Moves Could Boost U.S. Farm Outlook”

By: Brownfield – May 17, 2026

“We’re going to have to make our peace with China. Whether it be export sales to China or export sales to something else. Addressing beef exports to China is a good first step… Right now, China has refused to reinstate licenses for the majority of beef exporting facilities in the United States. It was sort of our third largest destination market, well over $10 billion, right up there with Japan and South Korea. That’s pretty much dropped to almost zero.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Brownfield

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“How Iran War Is Disrupting the Food Supply Chain”

By: Bloomberg – March 19, 2026

“The full impact is likely to take some time to materialize. Food prices tend to respond to prolonged energy shocks, not short spikes, and the effect on grocery prices is typically indirect and delayed."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Bloomberg

Rabail Chandio , Iowa State University

“Farmland Values Inch Up in Market Readjustment”
By: Iowa Farm Bureau – December 3, 2025
“What’s Behind The Average Increase in 2025 Iowa Farmland Values?”
By: Farm Progress – December 19, 2025
“Livestock Land Drives Higher Farmland Values in Iowa”
By: Iowa Farmer Today – December 10, 2025
"Land values hold steady in Iowa After a Year of Uncertainty For Farmers"
By: Iowa Public Radio - December 10, 2025
Value of Iowa Farmland Holds Steady, Row Crop Land Sees Decline
By: We Are Iowa - December 10, 2025
"ISU survey: Northwest Iowa farmland values tick up in 2025"
By: Storm Lake Times - December 10, 2025
"ISU Survey: Iowa Farmland Values Stable"
By: Des Moines Register - December 10, 2025
"Iowa farmland with livestock has higher value in annual ISU survey"
By: Radio Iowa - December 10, 2025

Scott Irwin, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“Tax Credits Keep Struggling Biodiesel Plants Operational”

By: Feed and Grain – March 20, 2026

“Tax credits have become a financial lifeline for U.S. biodiesel plants, with recent federal and state subsidies preventing what would otherwise be continuous shutdown signals since early 2025, according to "Biodiesel Production Profits and Tax Credits by Scott Irwin"

(Continued...)
Read more on: Feed and Grain

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Call for Papers: Special Issue on Latin American Agricultural Economics

2026-03-18T07:59:00.001-05:00

Submission Deadline: September 15, 2026

The International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) and the editors of Agricultural Economics invite submissions for a special issue dedicated to Latin America. This initiative follows recent board meetings identifying the region as having low representation in the journal. The goal is to foster deeper engagement with regional researchers and increase the global visibility of their contributions to the field.

Scope and Inclusivity:

We seek papers that align with the broad scope of Agricultural Economics: "from consumption and nutrition to land use and the environment, at every scale of analysis from households to markets and the macro-economy. Applicable methodologies include econometric estimation and statistical hypothesis testing, optimization and simulation models, descriptive reviews and policy analyses. We particularly encourage submission of empirical work that can be replicated and tested by others."

We welcome submissions from scholars globally and we specifically encourage the participation of researchers based in Latin America. We also strongly encourage submissions from early-career researchers, including PhD students and postdoctoral scholars from the region who are currently studying or working abroad.

Regional Workshop:

To facilitate scholarly exchange, authors of accepted papers or papers invited for resubmission will be invited to a workshop in the region in early 2027. The workshop will provide in-depth feedback from the journal's co-editors and IAAE board members. To support participation, the IAAE will fund travel and accommodation for one author per accepted paper from the region. PhD and postdoctoral students from Latin America currently working abroad will also be considered for travel support to facilitate their ongoing connection to the regional research community. Expressions of interest to hold the workshop from universities in the region are welcomed.

Submission Process:

The submission portal opens on March 15, 2026. Authors should submit manuscripts via the Agricultural Economics online submission portal and select the "Latin America Special Issue" option.

Review Process:

Submissions will undergo expedited peer review, with initial decisions expected within two months.

For questions regarding the scope or the workshop, please contact the Lead Guest Editor, Nelson Villoria (nvilloria@ksu.edu).

2026 Extension Competition for Graduate Students

2026-03-18T07:55:00.002-05:00

The AAEA Extension Competition for Graduate Students provides an opportunity to develop and/or get feedback on programs that communicate research and practical information to Extension (usually non-economist) audiences. Entries can be based upon graduate student research for a thesis, dissertation or other academic work. The competition is sponsored by the Extension and Graduate Student Sections. Applications due by Friday, May 8, 2026.

Who’s Eligible?

Graduate students currently engaged in topics related to agricultural economics, agribusiness, natural resources, and/or community economic development, as well as those who graduated from such programs in Spring 2026 or later.

Participants must identify and work with a mentor with experience in outreach or extension activities.

The Application:

Applications should be addressed to Will Maples at will.maples@msstate.edu and must include:

1. Student’s name, university, department, address and contact information.

2. Title of the extension program to be delivered.

3. A summary of the proposed extension program. This should include project outcomes, target audience, delivery plans, communication methods and activities planned for distributing the information to the public such as fact sheets, reports, web sites, spreadsheets, and presentations (4 page maximum). If the applicant was part of a team, the role of the applicant within the team must be made clear. If the proposed project is building upon the success of other extension programs, the summary should include a description of the previous program and the innovative approach of this proposed project.

4. An educational popular press article limited to 500 words and no more than two graphics (tables, charts, etc.). This should be an addendum to your submission packet. Examples include: https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2023/01/us-price-inflation-focus-on-farm- prices.html and https://southernagtoday.org

5. A detailed evaluation plan. This should be an addendum to your submission packet. You may choose to develop your project using a logic model (which is not required). You can see more information on logic models.

6. A profile of the applicant’s background and research (1 page maximum).

7. The mentor’s name and description of the mentor’s role in the project.

Finalists at AAEA

Finalists will be selected to make a 15-minute presentation at the AAEA meeting in Kansas, MO on Sunday July 26, 2026, to a panel of judges, who will then ask 5 minutes of questions. The competition will begin at 8AM CDT. Selection of the finalists will be based on the material submitted and the criteria listed above. Finalists will be notified by June 5, 2026. The top three finalists are expected to make presentations during an AAEA Extension track organized symposium if present in Kansas City, MO. Date and time during conference to be determined.

Awards

Cash awards will be given to those judged to be the top three graduate students in this competition. Award funding is provided by the AAEA Extension Section through membership dues and via support provided by sponsors. Awards are:

· First Place: $1,000 and a plaque

· Second Place: $300 and a certificate

· Third Place: $200 and a certificate

· Other finalists receive finalist certificates.

The top 3 competitors selected will be recognized at the AAEA Awards ceremony. All finalists will be provided tickets to the Extension Luncheon during the AAEA annual meetings.

Submission Deadline: Midnight EDT on Friday, May 8, 2026. Email entries to Will Maples, Competition Committee Chair at will.maples@msstate.edu. Finalists will be notified by June 5, 2026.

Members in the News: March 16, 2026

2026-03-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

Sandro Steinbach, North Dakota State University

“Are Tariffs Raising Your Farm Input Costs?”

By: Iowa Soybean Association – March 5, 2026

"Tariffs have certainly impacted selling prices, but what about the price of inputs? Dr. Sandro Steinbach explains how the cost of production has changed for farmers and what we can expect for exports."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Iowa Soybean Association

Sandro Steinbach, North Dakota State University
Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

“NDSU Study Shows Difficult Situation For Dry Bean Growers”

By: AG Week – March 3, 2026

“Northarvest Bean Growers Association requested the $30,000 study called “Trade, Input Costs and Net Revenue Snapshot for Dry Beans." The report was prepared by Sandro Steinbach and Shawn Arita, both NDSU Agriculture Risk Policy directors.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: AG Week

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

“It Is Not Too Late to Turn This Around': Minnesota Farmers Demand Trade Fix As $50 Billion in Losses Push US Agriculture Toward Widespread Collapse”

By: MSN Money – March 6, 2026

“Those include the costs for fertilizers, costs for chemicals, for machinery products, for machinery inputs that have run up in inflation over the past few years.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: MSN Money

William Ridley, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“Illinois Families May Not See Direct Tariff Refunds, Expert Warns”

By: WCIA – March 3, 2026

“While the Supreme Court ruling is significant, the logistics of returning funds are far from straightforward. I think one of the reasons the Supreme Court didn’t rule about the refunds is that it’s just such a mess trying to figure out how to pass the money back to the people it’s owed to.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: WCIA

Shadi Atallah, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“Management Practices Can Enhance Soil Microbiome Functions in Plant Defense”

By: Ag Update – March 5, 2026

“As economists, we typically survey farmers and ask whether they would adopt a practice given a hypothetical outcome. Here we had the opportunity to link the whole sequences from beliefs to practices to lab-measured microbiome outcomes to economic consequences. This is very novel and exciting."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Ag Update

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“Do Elections Shape India’s Rural Infrastructure Programmes?”

By: Basis Point – March 12, 2026

”Even programmes designed to be rules-based and insulated from political discretion can still bend subtly to electoral incentives. New research on India’s rural roads programme suggests that elections shape more than how much infrastructure gets built. They also influence when projects are approved and which ones move up the queue.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Basis Point

Rabail Chandio , Iowa State University

“Iowa Farmland Sale Hits Record $32,000 Per Acre in Sioux County”
By: Successful Farming – December 3, 2025
“How has farmland leasing changed?”
By: Illinois Farmer Today – November 18, 2026
“As Farmers Face Falling Incomes, Are Land Prices Next?”
By: Iowa Public Radio – October 9, 2025

Alexis Villacis, The Ohio State University

“‘I Took Two Bites And Had to Spit it out’: Candy Makers Are Phasing Out Real Cocoa in Chocolate”

By: The Guardian – March 11, 2026

“The volatile cocoa market is, in fact, a major factor in chocolate pricing. Since 2020, the climate crisis has led to a cycle of droughts and floods in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, which, combined, produce 70% of the world’s chocolate. This led to diseases that destroyed the cocoa plantations and decimated the cocoa supply.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Guardian

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Can Price Caps Bring Down Grocery Bills?”
By: Marketplace – March 12, 2026
“How the Iran War and Surging Oil Prices Are Affecting Consumers at the Gas Pump and Beyond”
By: AP News – March 11, 2026
“The Price of Eggs is Down More Than 40% Since 2025”
By: Marketplace – March 11, 2206
“War in the Middle East is Pushing Up Agricultural Commodities’ Prices”
By: Marketplace – March 9, 2026

David Ortega, Michigan State University
Zachariah Rutledge, Michigan State University

“ICE Raids Are Reported To Have 'Chilling Effects' On Farmers — And It Will Impact Groceries”

By: Huff Post – March 9, 2026

“It depends on where you live… Currently, we’re seeing anecdotal reports of localized disruptions, but not broad, national‑level indicators that would suggest a systemic impact on food availability or prices.”

“Even if the data — or what’s showing up on shelves — hasn’t caught up everywhere, some workers are staying home rather than risking getting swept up in a crackdown.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Huff Post

Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnical State University
David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Oil and Fertilizer Prices Are Climbing. Your Grocery Bill May Follow”

By: Fortune – March 13, 2026

“Energy is one of the most critical inputs for the food supply chain, which means the impacts of the war could show up on your grocery receipt. There’s a very strong correlation between the movement of energy prices and the movement of food prices. We’ve seen oil top $100 a gallon before and that happened to coincide with significant food price inflation.”

“However, prices aren’t expected to increase just yet. It could take time to see any impact in the short-term. “There’s a lag between when the shock happens and when you see the full effect on your food prices. It could be the better part of a full year before we’re seeing the full impact show up at the grocery store.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Fortune

Gregory Ibendahl, Kansas State University

“Kansas State Warns Fuel Prices May Climb”

By: Iowa Ag Connection – March 6, 2026

“Based on the latest oil price increase, gasoline prices could reach $3.10 to $3.16 per gallon within about a month. Gasoline prices often follow oil price movements quickly, sometimes within the following week. However, the effects may continue for several weeks when uncertainty in oil-producing regions remains high.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Iowa Ag Connection

Craig Carpenter, Michigan State University

“The Lasting Impacts of Now-Illegal Housing Discrimination”

By: WZZM13 – February 26, 2026

“The term was actually originally popularized in the 1960s by civil rights activists, housing rights activists, when they were fighting against behavior, discriminatory behavior by banks and lenders. But more recently, it's become associated with behavior by the federal government in the 1930s."

(Continued...)
Read more on: WZZM13

Jaime Luke, Michigan State University

“Will Coloradans See Higher Beef Prices if JBS Workers Go on Strike?”

By: Canon City Daily Record – March 13, 2026

“When we think about this plant closing, that changes the location of where cattle are processed, but it doesn’t change that we have such a low number. A reduction in processing capacity helps other facilities run more volume.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Canon City Daily Record

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Members in the News: March 9, 2026

2026-03-09T09:50:00.001-05:00

Zach Rutledge, Michigan State University

“Survey Finds Raids Impacted California Farm Production”
By: The Sun Gazette – February 25, 2026
“California Survey Links Enforcement Fears To Farm Labor Losses”
By: Fresh Plaza – March 6, 2026

Ian Sheldon, The Ohio State University

“Trump Blamed For Imminent ‘Widespread Collapse’ of US Farming”
By: AlterNet.org - February 6, 2026
“Farmers Squeezed By Trump Tariffs Press Lawmakers For Action”
By: The Hill - February 6, 2025
“Supreme Court Tariff Ruling Clouds the Future of U.S. Trade Deals”
By: Brownfield - February 23, 2026

Gabriel Lade, The Ohio State University

“Data centers Bring Money and Pushback”

By: Spectrum News – February 19, 2026

“A lot of cities negotiate pretty large upfront cash payments in lieu of future property taxes. So instead of collecting taxes over 15 years, they get money right away to build community facilities or bolster school funding,”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Spectrum News

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“China And the United States: What Can We Learn From Each Other?”
By: Rochester Business Journal – February 27, 2026
“Clean Water’s True Price in Rural India”
By: Basis Point – March 4, 2026

Shadi Atallah, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“When Sustainable Foods Come With Unexpected Environmental Costs”

By: Discover – Februay 7, 2026

“A lot of the work on sustainable agriculture focuses on what the government can do to support farmers to adopt something, and that is good for the transition. But we cannot rely on government support for the longer term, which is where the importance of consumer studies comes into play.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Discover

Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnical State University

“Wait-and-See Mode': The Conflict in Iran's Potential Impacts on Global Food Production”

By: KSBY – March 3, 2026

"I want to stress, we certainly have not seen food price impacts yet, but that's what I'd say we'd start to see in the next say one to three months. At this point, it's too early to see an impact, but that he and other industry experts are monitoring potential impacts down the line.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: KSBY

Jada Thompson, University of Arkansas

“Egg Price Drop Benefits Consumers, Threatens Farmers’ Livelihoods”
By: WishTV – February 20 2026
“Egg prices Collapse As Once-Empty Shop Shelves Now Overstuffed”
By: Farm Progress – February 20, 2026
“Egg Prices Have Plummeted. That’s Great News For Consumers — And a Crisis For Farmers”
By: CNN – February 20, 2026

James Mitchel, University of Arkansas

“Winter Storm Deals $30M+ Blow to Arkansas Farmers”

By: Swift Times – February 25, 2026

“Cattle prices are historically high, so losses reflect higher values… the figures do not represent unusually large numbers of cattle deaths.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Swift Times

Brian Coffey, Kansas State University
Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University

“Beef Prices Continue to Increase With Consumer Demand”

By: Ag Update – March 2, 2026

“Microeconomic assessment shows consumer preferences have become a powerful driver of market outcomes, even during a period of historically tight supplies. Since 2019, the number of beef cows in the U.S. has gotten smaller and smaller. That’s been front and center when we think about the cattle and beef supply chain.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Ag Update

Leah Palm-Forster, University of Delaware

“Saltwater Intrusion Has Environmental, Financial Ramifications”

By: Cape Gazette – March 4, 2025

“Between 2011 and 2017, an estimated 20,000 acres of farmland were converted to marsh across Delmarva, causing between $39 million and $109 million in losses… The question is, when are things going to be bad enough to change behavior. Prevention and the mitigation of risk need to be done in advance because waiting to respond won’t be effective.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Cape Gazette

Michael Langemeier, Purdue University

“Indiana Farm Income Projected to Decline in 2026 After 2025 Rebound”

By: Agrinews – March 4, 2026

“Cash farm receipts increased $232 million from 2024 and 2025, but are expected to decline by $1,033 million in 2026. The large drop in crop receipts in 2025 was offset by a large increase in livestock receipts and government payments.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Agrinews

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Members in the News: March 2, 2026

2026-03-02T14:47:00.001-06:00

Jada Thompson, University of Arkansas

“Egg prices have plummeted. That’s great news for consumers — and a crisis for farmers”

By: CNN – February 20, 2026

“On average, a farm spends 98 cents to $1.05 to produce a dozen eggs. That often doesn’t include operational costs like packaging and transportation, which have risen in the last year.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: CNN

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“Artificial Intelligence: Why the Biggest Revolution May Be Surprisingly Ordinary”

By: Basis Point – February 19, 2026

“There is no gainsaying the fact that there is a great deal of hype about what artificial intelligence might mean for humanity. On one end of the spectrum lies the belief that AI will solve all human problems and perhaps even make us immortal. On the other is the dystopian fear that AI will immiserize society in ways that we have never seen before.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Basis Point

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

“US farmers Are on High Alert After Losses Exceeding $50 Billion And Fear Widespread Farm Collapse Due to Tariffs, Blocked Exports, and Record Harvests Driving Down Prices”
By: CPG – February 16, 2026
“In The Year of Trump's Tariff, Farmers' Bankruptcy Filings Grow Nearly 50 Percent in 2025 in the U.S”
By: Dnews – February 14, 2026
“Minnesota Farmers Demand Trade Fix as $50B in Losses Has Potential to Push US Agriculture Toward ‘Widespread Collapse’”
By: News Break – Febraury 14, 2026

Zachariah Rutledge, Michigan State University

“Survey Finds Raids Impacted California Farm Production”
By: Ag Alert – February 25, 2026
“ICE Crackdown, Especially Fear of Raids, Triggered CA Farmworker Losses, Survey Shows”
By: Fresno Bee – February 28, 2026

Steven Deller, University of Wisconsin-Madison

“Number of U.S. Farms Shrank by 15,000 in 2025”

By: Successful Farming – February 17, 2026

“Consolidation continues to be the biggest factor shaping the number of farms in the state. The high costs farmers face to produce milk continues to make it difficult for small and mid-size farms to be profitable.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Successful Farming

Cesar Escalante, University of Georgia

“Farmworkers Could Face Declining Wages in Vermont”

By: Valley News – February 17, 2026

“If the government allowed these deductions, they should also audit and check on housing. Only those implementing acceptable housing services should be getting those deductions.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Valley News

Success Amobi-Ndubuisi Okafor, North Carolina A&T University

“WI Economist: Farm Crisis Runs Deeper Than Tariffs”

By: Public News Service – February 17, 2026

“Tariffs are not the real issue. Tariffs exposed weaknesses; they didn't create them. If tariffs were the only problem, fixing trade policy would solve it. But even without tariffs, U.S. farmers are losing competitiveness."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Public News Service

Frayne Olson, North Dakota State University
Daniel O'Brien, Kansas State University

“Corn Holds Ground as US Farmers Eye 2026 Cuts”

By: The Pig Site -February 19, 2026

“The market is signaling, ‘We don't want you to cut too many corn acres.’ We don't need as many as last year, but with today's demand base, it's not like we need a huge drop.”

"The soybean market is more of a political football than the corn market right now,"

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Pig Site

Charles Martinez, University of Tennessee

“Recent Price Increases Offer Hope For Tennessee Soybean Farmers After Multi-Year Downturn”

By: WVLT 8 – February 19, 2026

“Farmers were receiving prices that didn’t cover production costs. It was essentially, as they were pulling off crop or if they were planting crop over the last couple of years, it was penciling out already to a loss.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: WVLT 8

Yifei Zhang, North Dakota State University
Brian Coffey, Kansas State University

“K-State Agriculture Today: 2127 – Livestock Risk Protection for Feeder Cattle…Kansas Cattle Risk Management”

By: Sunflower State Radio – February 26, 2026

“Starting the show is Brian Coffey, K-State agricultural economist, and Yifei Zhang, senior research economist with the Agricultural Risk Policy Center at North Dakota State University, as they discuss research into Kansas producers using Livestock Risk Protection for feeder cattle.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Sunflower State Radio

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Members in the News: February 23, 2026

2026-02-23T09:11:00.001-06:00

Jada Thompson, University of Arkansas

“Wholesale Egg Prices Have Plummeted. Will Shoppers See the Savings?”

By: USA Today – February 13, 2026

“What has happened to the industry and egg prices is classic supply and demand. Last year, with a significant part of the U.S. egg supply affected by the bird flu during a time of seasonal demand, shoppers grew concerned and started overbuying eggs.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: USA Today

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University
Ian Sheldon, The Ohio State University
Daniel Sumner, University of California, Davis

“Farmers Squeezed By Trump Tariffs Press Lawmakers For Action”

By: The Hill – February 6, 2026

“Production costs have been very, very high. This is costs for fertilizers, costs for chemicals, for machinery products, for machinery inputs. All these key inputs have been elevated, the production costs, much of it, due to run up in inflation over the past few years.”

“The current administration’s range of tariffs, it’s exacerbated the original trade war that we had with China back in the first administration. I think it’s actually … hurting our soybean export market, in particular to China.”

“What we have been hit with is retaliatory tariffs on the other side. So, it’s tariffs on farm inputs and retaliatory tariffs by other countries against us.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Hill

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

“In the Year of Trump's Tariff, Farmers' Bankruptcy Filings Grow Nearly 50 Percent in 2025 in the U.S”
By: MSN – February 12, 2026
“How Trump’s Economic Policies Deepened the Divide: The K-Shaped Recovery Hits Rural America Hardest”
By: The Berkshire Ridge – February 12, 2026

Jiyeon Kim, North Dakota State University
Andrew Muhammad, University of Tennessee

“How 2025 IEEPA Tariffs Affected Agricultural Inputs and Production Costs”

By: Southern Ag Today – February 12, 2026

“In 2025, the President imposed a series of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), reshaping U.S. trade policy. These measures, ranging from fentanyl‑related tariffs in February to broad reciprocal tariffs implemented in April, generated an estimated $130 billion in revenue by early December with implications for multiple sectors, including agriculture.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Southern Ag Today

Matthew Gammans, North Dakota State University

“Many Midwest Farmers Have Mixed Feelings About Upcoming USDA Payments”

By: MPR News – February 9, 2026

“That even though those areas may have been more disproportionately affected by trade disputes with China, they’ll receive the same payment rate as everyone else. So the losses for North Dakota soybean farmers can be really large, but they still get the same payment as the soybean farmer in Georgia or Iowa or anywhere else in the country.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: MPR News

Alejandro Gutierrez-Li, North Carolina State University
Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University

“How Immigrants Are Catalyzing A Rural Economic Melting Pot”

By: Forbes – February 16, 2026

“The U.S. has been home to at least 10 million undocumented visitors for more than a decade and so industries that employ such workers have become reliant on labor force that is now quite vulnerable.”

“While discussions on the role of immigration in America take shape, what is often missing is an interrogation of the immigrant's role in our 250-year-old vision of the U.S. The vision of the nation as a melting pot.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Forbes

Steven Deller, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Paul Mitchell, University of Wisconsin-Madison

“Republicans Are Looking Past the Short-Term Pain of Trump’s Tariffs”

By: NOTUS – February 17, 2026

“We’re hemorrhaging thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars, and they’re giving us pennies. Frmers want “fair markets” and a “level playing field.”

“They don’t solve the long-run problem of higher input costs and low prices; they are a Band-Aid to get us through this short-term problem.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: NOTUS

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Trump’s Beef Trade Deal is a Lose-Lose Gamble That Won’t Lower Prices”

By: Grist – February 12, 2026

“Trade groups, lawmakers, and economists agree that the increased imports from Argentina are unlikely to lower the record-high beef prices in the U.S. That’s partly because Americans already consume so much beef.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Grist

Eric Belasco, Montana State University

“Beef Prices Soar as U.S. Cattle Herd Hits 75-Year Low, Experts Warn of Continued High Costs”

By: Yahoo Finance – February 14, 2026

“Consistent dry weather has decimated grasslands throughout the West and Plains regions. This has left ranchers grappling with insufficient feed and water resources to sustain their herds, compelling many to prematurely sell off cattle, including breeding cows critical for the production of future calves.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Yahoo Finance

Daniel Sumner, University of California, Davis

“How Rain Could Affect California Almond Crop, Bees During Bloom Season”

By: NewBreak – February 12, 2026

“The almond is a crop that may hit $5 billion in revenue this year. And if you add the jobs connected to that, and the rest of the spreading of the economic output around, it'll be about 3 times that big to the economy.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: NewBreak

Bulat Gafarov, University of California, Davis

“California Gas Prices Have Risen 40 Cents in the Last 14 Days”

By: New York Post – February 15, 2026

“By August 2026 — when the full impact of refinery closures is realized — California gas prices could climb by as much as $1.21 per gallon if no major market changes occur. In 2000, the California gas price was approximately $0.25 higher than the national average, but by 2025 the difference increased to $1.50.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: New York Post

Hope Michelson, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Kathy Baylis, University of California, Santa Barbara
Chungmann Kim, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“The Leading Global Early Warning System For Food Insecurity Misses Millions in Crisis”

By: VoxDev – February 16, 2026

“The leading global early warning system for acute food insecurity systematically underestimates the scale of crisis-level hunger, missing around one in five people affected. As a result, global assessments significantly understate the scope of global humanitarian need, with serious consequences for the timing and adequacy of aid to vulnerable populations.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: VoxDev

Vishal Dagar, Great Lakes Institute of Management

“Why Withdrawing EPF During a Job Switch Can Be a Costly Financial Mistake”

By: India Today – December 29, 2026

“The moment you resign from a job, life feels lighter. There’s excitement about what’s coming next, a sense of progress, maybe even a quiet relief. Somewhere between farewell lunches and updating your LinkedIn headline, another message arrives—your Provident Fund balance. For many, this is when a small thought grows louder: “Should I just withdraw it?” The amount suddenly looks useful, even tempting. It feels like money you earned and money you deserve.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: India Today

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