SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

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Basic Information
Additional Info

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Project No. and Title: WERA_OLD72 : Agribusiness Research Emphasizing Competitiveness
Period Covered: 10/01/2006 to 09/01/2007
Date of Report: 03/31/2008
Annual Meeting Dates: 06/17/2007 to 06/19/2007

Greg Baker, Santa Clara University Vera Bitsch, Michigan State University Ed Cabacungan, Cal Poly Pomona E'licia Chaverest, Alabama A&M University Duncan Chembezi, Alabama A&M University Anthony Crooks, USDA-RCBS Cody Dahl, University of Florida Jennifer Dennis, Purdue University Thorsten Egelkraut, Oregon State University LaMonica Glinton, Alabama A&M University Brent Gloy, Cornell University Wes Harrison, Lousiana State University Neal Hooker, Ohio State University Aaron Johnson, Oregon State University Philip Kenkel, Oklahoma State University Greg Konsor, Conagra Foods (invited speaker) Conrad Lyford, Texas Tech University Umberto Medicamento, University of Arizona Elvis Mokake, Arizona State University Desmond Ng, Texas A&M William Nganje, Arizona State University Jon C. Phillips, Cal Poly Pomona Sayed (Mehdi) Saghaian, University of Kentucky John Siebert, Texas A&M Christopher Shanahan, The Ohio State University Forrest Stegelin, University of Georgia James Sterns, University of Florida Keah-Choon Tan, UNLV Dept of Management (invited speaker) Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University Cheryl Wachenheim, North Dakota State University Ruby Ward, Utah State University Rick Whitacre, Illinois State University Paul Wilson, University of Arizona Jared Wolfley, Texas A&M Al Wysocki, University of Florida

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Brief Summary of Annual Meeting: Highlights of the meetings program included the following: " A presentation by an invited industry speaker, Greg Konsor, General Manager Grain Operations, ConAgra Ingredients, Emerging Agribusiness Issues and Global Marketing Strategies; " Fourteen paper presentations by members, concerning a range of agribusiness research, teaching and extension scholarship (selected from a total of 24 paper proposals that were submitted in response to our call for papers in the Spring of 2007); " Six additional proposal were invited to present posters during the program, 4 of which actually presented their posters at the meeting; " Three panel discussions, two focusing on agribusiness research topics and one on agribusiness outreach/extension. The Business Meeting was held from 8am to 9am, Tuesday, June 19, 2007. The meeting was chaired by James Sterns, University of Florida, with R. Wes Harrison, Louisiana State University, serving as Secretary. Highlights from this meeting included the following: " The first order of business was approval of the 2006 minutes following a motion by Forest Steglin, University of Georgia, and a second by Cheryl Wachenheim, North Dakota State University; " The nomination committee submitted two nominees for Secretary. The two nominees where Desmond Ng, Texas A&M University, and Jon Phillips, Cal Poly Pomona. There were no additional nominations from the floor and nominations were closed. After a few comments from each nominee a vote was taken and Desmond Ng was elected as the 2007/2008 WERA-72 Secretary; " Brent Gloy, Cornell University, was the sole nomination for Treasurer. He has elected by acclamation following a motion by Greg Baker, Santa Clara University, and a second by William Nganje, Arizona State University; " Al Wysocki, University of Florida, submitted a Treasury report for 2006/2007. WERA-72 had a beginning balance of $9,867.90 prior to the 2007 conference but with conference expenses running $3,042.77 over revenues, our post-conference ending balance is $6,825.13. Cheryl Wachenheim raised some concerns over two years of deficit spending and a discussion regarding conference registration fees and expenses ensued. After several minutes of discussion regarding the sustainability of paying for graduate student travel and increasing registration fees the participants agreed to discontinue graduate student travel scholarships and limit financial assistance for graduate students to complementary registration. Greg Baker also made a motion that registration fees be increased up to $200 (i.e. $150 to 200) based on executive committee discretion. The motion was seconded by Cheryl Wachenheim. The motion passed; " The next item on the agenda was selecting a time and location for the 2008 WERA-72 conference. Several members of the group asked that we consider coordinating our annual meeting with the dates for the 2008 IAMA annual conference, which will be in Monterey, CA on June 14-17, 2008. The argument being that WERA-72 members attending both conferences could minimize time and travel expenses if the two conferences were in close proximity to one another. Greg Baker, Santa Clara University, offered to host the WERA-72 in Santa Clara, CA. A motion was made by Jon Phillips and seconded by Cheryl Wachenheim that the WERA-72 annual meeting be held June 19-20, 2008 in Santa Clara, CA. The motion passed; " The Business meeting was adjourned, with William Nganje, Arizona State University, transitioning from his role as 2006/07 Vice-chair to become the 2007/08 Committee Chair.

Accomplishments

Accomplishments: Members of WERA72 noted that the 2007 meetings marked the 20th anniversary of the organizational meeting that led to the creation of this coordinating committee, which was initially known as the WRCC-72. Part of the program for the 2007 annual meeting included a review of the organizations accomplishments during its 20 years. With one founding member present (Greg Baker, Santa Clara U.), and another linked by telephone (Steve Sonka, U. of Illinois), and several others extending their regrets for their absences due to other commitments (Jay Akridge, Purdue U., Hoy Carman, UC-Davis, Roger Fox, U. of Arizona, Bill Gorman, New Mexico State, Kerry Litzenberg, Texas A&M, Lynn Robbins, U. of Kentucky, Andrew Starbird, Santa Clara U., and Michael Woolverton, Kansas State U.), comments were shared about how agribusiness has emerged as a dominant sub-discipline in agricultural economics. Major accomplishments that had their initial catalyst from this working group include, " The creation of the International Food and Agribusiness Association (IAMA) and its journal, International Food and Agribusiness Management Review. " The creation of the Agribusiness Economics and Management (AEM) Section within the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA). " Masters of Agribusiness programs and/or Ph.D. fields in agribusiness at nearly twenty Departments of Agricultural Economics throughout the U.S. " The creation of the student agribusiness case study competitions at the annual meetings of both the American Agricultural Economics Association and the Food Distribution Research Society (approximately 12 years and 8 years running, respectively). Specific accomplishments for the reporting period include the successful completion of our coordinating meeting, as noted above. With 24 proposals submitted, and with 35 attending the conference (with an additional 40 others on the organizations listserv), the WERA72 continues to serve the vital function of linking agribusiness scholars. This is particularly important as many committee participants still have little support within their academic home departments, often being the only agribusiness scholar at their schools, despite the emerging importance of agribusiness as a sub-discipline within agricultural economics. It should be noted that IAMA with its international focus (and annual meetings typically outside the U.S.), often is not an accessible outlet or resource for WERA72 members, who rely on the WERA72 annual meeting to network with other agribusiness scholars and to learn about cutting edge research, teaching and outreach in agribusiness. In addition to the annual meeting, members presented agribusiness-focused research findings at the annual meetings of the Western Agricultural Economics Association, the Southern Agricultural Economics Association, the American Agricultural Economics Association, the Food Distribution and Research Society, and two members participated in an international forum on Innovation and System Dynamics in Food Networks in Innsbruck, Austria in February 2007. Many members also serve as thesis and dissertation committee chairs and members for graduate students conducting agribusiness-focused research.

Impacts

1. Continued to provide an accessible and mentoring environment for junior faculty and graduate students in agribusiness. Four graduate students presented papers at the annual meeting. Over the years, this has been an important role of the WERA72. For example, several of WERA72s current officers gave early career professional presentations at a WERA72 annual meeting, either as a graduate student or as a newly hired assistant professor.
2. Continued to link university faculty with government agency personnel and industry leaders. The program at the annual meeting once again included an invited speaker from industry and one presentation by an USDA staff member. The WERA72 leadership has maintained this practice for many years now, and it is committed to continuing to use the annual meeting to facilitate these linkages.
3. More generally, the WERA72 continues to facilitate the coordination and development of timely research, extension, and teaching projects among participating faculty, graduate students, government, and industry leaders, creating a pool of shared expertise in general area of agribusiness scholarship.
4. Maintained and further developed our electronic communication methods, regularly using the organizations listserv to communicate timely announcements, including job postings, research grant opportunities, and calls for paper proposals with an agribusiness focus. Past presentations have also been posted on the organizations webpage, providing an institutional depository of past agribusiness scholarship.
5. Improved the quality and quantity of agribusiness research, teaching and extension that is produced by participating members, as well as fostering integrated and multi-state projects among WERA72 participants.

Publications

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