Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Agricultural and Applied Economics Association
Name	Agricultural and Applied Economics Association
Founded	0 1910
Location	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Key people	Jayson L. Lusk (President, 2023-2024)
Focus	Agricultural economics, applied economics
Website	https://www.aaea.org/

Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. The Agricultural and Applied Economics Association is a premier professional organization for economists specializing in the study of agriculture, food, resources, and development. Founded in 1910 as the American Farm Economic Association, it fosters research, policy analysis, and education through its publications, annual meetings, and awards. The association's members, including academics, government researchers, and industry professionals, contribute significantly to global discussions on food security, environmental policy, and rural development.

History

The association was established in 1910 during a meeting at Cornell University, adopting the name American Farm Economic Association. Its early leadership included prominent figures like Henry C. Taylor, the first chief of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics within the United States Department of Agriculture. The organization evolved alongside the discipline, reflecting the expanding scope from farm management to broader issues of agricultural policy and international development. A pivotal name change to the American Agricultural Economics Association occurred in 1968, and the current name, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, was adopted in 2008 to better represent its members' work in all areas of applied economics. Key historical milestones include its role in shaping the Agricultural Adjustment Act and contributing economic analysis during the Green Revolution.

Organization and governance

The association is governed by an elected executive board, including a President, President-Elect, and Past President, who serve one-year terms. The board works with a professional executive staff headquartered in Milwaukee. Major committees, such as the Awards Committee and Fellows Election Committee, oversee critical functions like recognizing scholarly achievement. The membership is organized into sections and committees focused on specific interest areas, including Agribusiness Economics and Management, Food and Agricultural Marketing, and International Agricultural Trade and Development. The association maintains formal liaisons with other bodies like the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics and the International Association of Agricultural Economists.

Publications

The association publishes several leading peer-reviewed journals that are central to the field. Its flagship publication is the *American Journal of Agricultural Economics*, a top-tier journal covering a wide array of topics in the discipline. Other key publications include *Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy*, which focuses on policy analysis, and *Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association*, which features shorter, applied research articles. The association also publishes the *Choices* magazine, which provides accessible policy analysis for a broader audience, and the *AEA Papers and Proceedings* from its annual meeting. These publications are often indexed in major databases like EconLit and the Social Sciences Citation Index.

Annual meetings

The association hosts a major annual meeting, typically held in July or August, which attracts thousands of economists from around the world. Recent meetings have been held in cities like Anaheim, California, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.. The event features hundreds of organized symposia, paper presentations, and poster sessions covering topics from climate change adaptation to biofuel markets. A highlight is the presidential address, delivered by the outgoing president, which often sets a thematic agenda for the discipline. The meetings also include the AAEA Fellows recognition ceremony, career fairs, and workshops sponsored by institutions like the Economic Research Service and the World Bank.

Awards and recognition

The association bestows numerous prestigious awards to honor professional achievement. The highest honor is election as an AAEA Fellow, recognizing sustained excellence in the profession. Other major awards include the Outstanding Journal Article Award, the Quality of Research Discovery Award, and the Outstanding Master's Thesis Award. Early-career contributions are recognized through the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award and the Emerging Scholar Award. The association also presents the John Kenneth Galbraith Award for significant public service contributions and awards for outstanding extension and teaching, such as the Distinguished Teaching Award.

Related organizations

The association maintains close ties with several related professional and academic organizations. It is a founding member of the Allied Social Sciences Association and participates in the annual ASSA Annual Meeting. It collaborates frequently with the International Association of Agricultural Economists, which hosts triennial congresses like the 30th International Conference of Agricultural Economists. Other key related bodies include the Western Agricultural Economics Association, the Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, and the Southern Agricultural Economics Association. The association also interacts with federal agencies such as the United States Department of Agriculture and international bodies like the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Category:Agricultural organizations Category:Professional associations based in the United States Category:Economics societies Category:Organizations established in 1910