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NC1034: Impact Analyses and Decision Strategies for Agricultural Research (NC1003)

Annual/Termination Reports (SAES-422): [09/19/2012]

Date of Annual Report: 09/19/2012

Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 03/15/12 to 03/16/12
  • Period the Report Covers: 10/2011 to 09/2012

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
    The NC-1034 Annual Business Meeting was held in conjunction with the research conference, "The Future of Agricultural Research: Funding, Funding Mechanisms, and Public Private Collaborations" March a the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Headquarters in Washington DC, March 15-16, 2012. The conference program is attached. Conference presentations were made on March 15-16, with the business meeting held on the 16th.

    During conference presentations, there was some spirited debates over different approaches to measuring productivity growth in agriculture, especially with respect to measurement of capital as an input. Productivity measurement has important implications for agricultural research systems as does the question of whether US and global agricultural productivity growth is experiencing a slow-down. During the business meeting, members briefly discussed the possibility of inviting an outside expert (or experts) on productivity measurement to evaluate different practices for measuring agricultural productivity growth. A potential outside speaker/ reviewer might be (for example) a member of the National Bureau of Economic Research Productivity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Program.

    The group then discussed themes for the 2013 research conference along with the possibility of having a collaborative publication serve as the focal point and main product of the conference. The group discussed the relative merits of an edited book volume versus a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal. There was general agreement that a peer-reviewed, special issue would be preferable. First, for faculty evaluation and promotion, peer-reviewed journal publications are looked upon more favorably than book chapters. Second, other researchers often have better access to journal article article on-line than they would to book chapters. With easier on-line access in a journal, NC-1034 would like be cited more. Relevant journals that publish special issues include AgBioForum, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Agricultural Economics, and Environmental Science and Policy. It was noted that some publishers now do more to make individual book chapters available on-line. For example the book Genetically Modified Food and Global Welfare co-edited by one NC-1034 (G. Moschini, Iowa State) and featuring contributions from four other NC-1034 members has individual chapters available on-line to faculty at most universities.

    The group then discussed at length different possibilities for research themes. These included the following topics: Intellectual Property Issues Barriers to Agricultural Biotechnology Trade and Technology Transfer Bio-energy R&D Agricultural Research Funding Mechanisms Natural Resource and Environmental R&D Technology Diffusion and Impact Assessment Agricultural Productivity Measurement

    Steven Miller (Michigan State) offered to develop an on-line survey through Survey Monkey, so that we could poll the entire NC-1034 membership about their preferences. The survey would also ask about location and times of the next meeting. Two possible locations for the 2013 meetings were Washington, DC again and the University of Arizona in Tucson (George Frisvold offered to host the conference in the latter event).

    Election of Officers: George Frisvold (Arizona) was nominated and elected President Steven Miller (Michigan State) was nominated and elected Secretary.

    The business meeting was adjourned at 2pm March 16, 2012.


    URL: Copy of minutes

    Accomplishments:
    Outputs: * 50 peer-reviewed publications in the previous year * Contribution of book chapters by 5 members to the edited volume Genetically Modified Food and Global Welfare. * Contributions by 5 members of articles to a special issue of AgBioForum vol. 14, no. 3 on Sustainability and the Bioeconomy

    Activities * Invited presentations for the National Academy of Sciences and an organized symposium for the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association on the economics of biotechnology and management of herbicide resistance in weeds. * Contributions to the National Academy of Science report Renewable Fuel Standard: Potential Economic and Environmental Effectsof U.S. Biofuel Policy * Member organization of and participation in the 15th and 16th conferences of the International Consortium on Applied Bioeconomy Research * Member organization and participation in the 2012 Berkeley Bioeconomy Conference

    Impact Statements:
    1. Based on improved data and estimation methods and accounting for state-to-state spillover effects, own-state benefit-cost ratios for agricultural research were found to be 32:1, corresponding to a 10% internal rate of return.
    2. Estimated that large increases in crop yields in 25 countries since 1996 can be attributed to adoption of GM-crop varieties.
    Last Modified: 24-Sep-2012
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