European Association of Agricultural Economists

European Association of Agricultural Economists
Name	European Association of Agricultural Economists
Abbreviation	EAAE
Formation	1957
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Wageningen, Netherlands
Region served	Europe
Membership	Agricultural economists, researchers, students
Leader title	President

European Association of Agricultural Economists is a professional association for scholars and practitioners in agricultural and applied economics across Europe, linking specialists working on rural development, agribusiness, land use, and food systems. The association operates as a forum for exchange among academics, policy analysts, and institutional partners from national research institutes, international organizations, and universities. It fosters collaboration with institutions engaged in agricultural policy, environmental policy, and trade negotiations.

History

The association traces its roots to post‑World War II scientific cooperation that involved institutions such as Food and Agriculture Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, European Economic Community, and national academies. Early conferences drew delegates from Wageningen University and Research, University of Reading, University of Agriculture in Kraków, University of Bonn, Université Paris‑Saclay, and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Prominent contributors included researchers affiliated with World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations University, and leading think tanks like Institute of Development Studies and Centre for European Policy Studies. Over subsequent decades the association expanded alongside policy developments such as the Common Agricultural Policy, the Uruguay Round, and accession processes involving European Union candidate countries, linking scholars from Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, and Bulgaria to Western European networks.

Organization and Governance

Governance follows a council model with elected officers drawn from universities and institutes including University of Copenhagen, University of Helsinki, ETH Zurich, Trinity College Dublin, and University of Bologna. The executive committee collaborates with editorial boards at partner presses and with funding bodies like European Commission directorates, national research councils, and charitable foundations such as Rockefeller Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on thematic programmes. The association partners with international organizations including Food and Agriculture Organization, World Bank, Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development, and regional bodies such as Council of Europe for capacity building, training, and policy outreach.

Membership and Regional Sections

Membership comprises academics, policy analysts, graduate students, and professionals from institutions such as INRAE, AgriFood Economics Centre, National Institute of Agricultural Botany, and national ministries from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and United Kingdom. Regional sections and working groups cover areas linked to networks like Baltic Studies Network, Central European Initiative, Nordic Council, and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation region; they coordinate with universities such as Vilnius University, University of Ljubljana, Comenius University, and University of Zagreb. Membership benefits include access to partner journals, job boards at institutions like European University Institute and International Food Policy Research Institute, and collaboration opportunities with research centres such as CIRAD and CIHEAM.

Conferences and Events

The association convenes biennial Congresses and specialist conferences hosted by universities such as Wageningen University and Research, University of Lisbon, Aarhus University, University of Warsaw, and University of Barcelona. These events feature panels joined by delegates from organisations including European Commission, World Bank, OECD, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and invited speakers from think tanks like Bruegel and Chatham House. The programme typically includes sessions on trade issues related to World Trade Organization negotiations, environmental topics linked to Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement frameworks, and rural development themes reflecting collaborations with FAO and IFAD.

Publications and Research Activities

The association sponsors and disseminates research through working paper series, conference proceedings, and edited volumes published in collaboration with academic presses and journals such as American Journal of Agricultural Economics, European Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Economics (journal), Food Policy, and outlets associated with Cambridge University Press and Routledge. It supports thematic research networks on topics intersecting with institutions such as IPCC, European Environment Agency, Joint Research Centre, and research projects funded by Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. Collaborative outputs often draw on datasets from Eurostat, FAOSTAT, World Bank Data, and national statistical offices.

Awards and Recognition

The association recognizes excellence through prizes for young researchers, best paper awards, and lifetime achievement awards often named in honour of eminent scholars from partner universities such as Wageningen University and Research, University of Reading, and University of Bonn. Award committees include representatives from organisations such as European Commission research directorates, OECD, FAO, and academic societies like Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry and German Society for Agricultural Economics.

Impact and Policy Contributions

Through conferences, policy briefs, and expert panels the association informs debates on agricultural policy instruments tied to the Common Agricultural Policy, trade discussions at the World Trade Organization, and environmental regulation under instruments such as the Paris Agreement. Collaborations have influenced research agendas at European Commission research programmes, contributed evidence to parliamentary committees in bodies like the European Parliament and national legislatures in France and Germany, and supported capacity building in accession countries through partnerships with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Council of Europe initiatives.

Category:Agricultural economics organizations Category:Scientific societies based in Europe