IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/oup/erevae/v50y2023i4p1256-1276..html

On the policy relevance of agricultural economics

Author

Listed:
  • David R Just

Abstract

The past decade has seen the transition of agricultural economics from perceived irrelevance to being seen as key to saving the world from an array of grand challenges. These challenges include global climate change, non-communicable diseases, hunger and poverty. These challenges require international cooperation. Such cooperation is undermined by global conflicts in which agricultural trade is disrupted either to incentivise policy change or through conflict. The world is vulnerable if trade can be exploited for political power or disrupted by other actions taken for political power. Agricultural economists are uniquely situated to address these issues.

Suggested Citation

  • David R Just, 2023. "On the policy relevance of agricultural economics," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 50(4), pages 1256-1276.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:erevae:v:50:y:2023:i:4:p:1256-1276.
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/erae/jbad019
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cornelis Gardebroek & Manuel A. Hernandez & Miguel Robles, 2016. "Market interdependence and volatility transmission among major crops," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(2), pages 141-155, March.
    2. Baldwin, Richard & Venables, Anthony J., 2013. "Spiders and snakes: Offshoring and agglomeration in the global economy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(2), pages 245-254.
    3. Koen Deconinck & Ellie Avery & Lee Ann Jackson, 2020. "Food Supply Chains and Covid‐19: Impacts and Policy Lessons," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 19(3), pages 34-39, December.
    4. Porteous, Obie, 2017. "Empirical effects of short-term export bans: The case of African maize," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 17-26.
    5. Joseph W. Glauber, 2021. "US Trade Aid Payments and the WTO," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(2), pages 586-603, June.
    6. Paltsev, Sergey, 2014. "Scenarios for Russia's natural gas exports to 2050," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 262-270.
    7. de Gorter, Harry & Just, David R., 2007. "The Economics of U.S. Ethanol Import Tariffs with a Consumption Mandate and Tax Credit," Working Papers 127023, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    8. Tim G. Benton, 2020. "COVID-19 and disruptions to food systems," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(3), pages 577-578, September.
    9. Weersink, Alfons & von Massow, Mike & Bannon, Nicholas & Ifft, Jennifer & Maples, Josh & McEwan, Ken & McKendree, Melissa G.S. & Nicholson, Charles & Novakovic, Andrew & Rangarajan, Anusuya & Richards, 2021. "COVID-19 and the agri-food system in the United States and Canada," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    10. Harry Gorter & Dusan Drabik & David R. Just, 2015. "The Economics of Biofuel Policies," Palgrave Studies in Agricultural Economics and Food Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-41485-4, June.
    11. Headey, Derek, 2011. "Rethinking the global food crisis: The role of trade shocks," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 136-146, April.
    12. S. S. Rabotyagov & C. L. Kling & P. W. Gassman & N. N. Rabalais & R. E. Turner, 2014. "The Economics of Dead Zones: Causes, Impacts, Policy Challenges, and a Model of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 8(1), pages 58-79, January.
    13. Piesse, Jenifer & Thirtle, Colin, 2009. "Three bubbles and a panic: An explanatory review of recent food commodity price events," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 119-129, April.
    14. Christophe Gouel & Sébastien Jean, 2015. "Optimal Food Price Stabilization in a Small Open Developing Country," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 29(1), pages 72-101.
    15. Govereh, Jones & Jayne, T. S., 2003. "Cash cropping and food crop productivity: synergies or trade-offs?," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 39-50, January.
    16. Richard Fuchs & Peter Alexander & Calum Brown & Frances Cossar & Roslyn C. Henry & Mark Rounsevell, 2019. "Why the US–China trade war spells disaster for the Amazon," Nature, Nature, vol. 567(7749), pages 451-454, March.
    17. Costas Arkolakis & Arnaud Costinot & Andres Rodriguez-Clare, 2012. "New Trade Models, Same Old Gains?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(1), pages 94-130, February.
    18. Alexander Hijzen & Richard Upward & Peter W. Wright, 2010. "The Income Losses of Displaced Workers," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 45(1).
    19. Detlef Vuuren & Elmar Kriegler & Brian O’Neill & Kristie Ebi & Keywan Riahi & Timothy Carter & Jae Edmonds & Stephane Hallegatte & Tom Kram & Ritu Mathur & Harald Winkler, 2014. "A new scenario framework for Climate Change Research: scenario matrix architecture," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 373-386, February.
    20. Harry de Gorter & David R. Just, 2010. "The Social Costs and Benefits of Biofuels: The Intersection of Environmental, Energy and Agricultural Policy," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 32(1), pages 4-32.
    21. Hertel, Thomas W., 2010. "The Global Supply and Demand for Agricultural Land in 2050: A Perfect Storm in the Making?," 2010 Annual Meeting, July 25-27, 2010, Denver, Colorado 92639, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    22. Daniel A. Sumner, 2009. "Recent Commodity Price Movements in Historical Perspective," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 91(5), pages 1250-1256.
    23. Pieters, Hannah & Swinnen, Johan, 2016. "Trading-off volatility and distortions? Food policy during price spikes," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 27-39.
    24. Brian O’Neill & Elmar Kriegler & Keywan Riahi & Kristie Ebi & Stephane Hallegatte & Timothy Carter & Ritu Mathur & Detlef Vuuren, 2014. "A new scenario framework for climate change research: the concept of shared socioeconomic pathways," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 387-400, February.
    25. Götz, Linde & Glauben, Thomas & Brümmer, Bernhard, 2013. "Wheat export restrictions and domestic market effects in Russia and Ukraine during the food crisis," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 214-226.
    26. Richter, Philipp M. & Holz, Franziska, 2015. "All quiet on the eastern front? Disruption scenarios of Russian natural gas supply to Europe," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 177-189.
    27. David H. Autor & David Dorn, 2013. "The Growth of Low-Skill Service Jobs and the Polarization of the US Labor Market," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(5), pages 1553-1597, August.
    28. Tyner Wallace E., 2007. "Policy Alternatives for the Future Biofuels Industry," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 5(2), pages 1-13, December.
    29. Xavier Irz & Lin Lin & Colin Thirtle & Steve Wiggins, 2001. "Agricultural Productivity Growth and Poverty Alleviation," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 19(4), pages 449-466, December.
    30. Isabelle Tsakok & Bruce Gardner, 2007. "Agriculture in Economic Development: Primary Engine of Growth or Chicken and Egg?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 89(5), pages 1145-1151.
    31. Tyner, Wallace E. & Taheripour, Farzad, 2007. "Future Biofuels Policy Alternatives," Biofuels, Food and Feed Tradeoffs Conference, April 12-13, 2007, St, Louis, Missouri 313694, Farm Foundation.
    32. Noah S. Diffenbaugh & Thomas W. Hertel & Martin Scherer & Monika Verma, 2012. "Response of corn markets to climate volatility under alternative energy futures," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(7), pages 514-518, July.
    33. Loayza, Norman V. & Raddatz, Claudio, 2010. "The composition of growth matters for poverty alleviation," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 137-151, September.
    34. Costinot, Arnaud & Rodríguez-Clare, Andrés, 2014. "Trade Theory with Numbers: Quantifying the Consequences of Globalization," Handbook of International Economics, in: Gopinath, G. & Helpman, . & Rogoff, K. (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 0, pages 197-261, Elsevier.
    35. Deepak Bhattasali & Shantong Li & Will Martin, 2004. "China and the WTO : Accession, Policy Reform, and Poverty Reduction Strategies," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 14920, April.
    36. Mason-D'Croz, Daniel & Sulser, Timothy B. & Wiebe, Keith & Rosegrant, Mark W. & Lowder, Sarah K. & Nin-Pratt, Alejandro & Willenbockel, Dirk & Robinson, Sherman & Zhu, Tingju & Cenacchi, Nicola & Duns, 2019. "Agricultural investments and hunger in Africa modeling potential contributions to SDG2 – Zero Hunger," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 38-53.
    37. Gray, David M, 1995. "All Displaced Workers Are Not Created Equal: The Political Economy of Worker Adjustment Assistance in France," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 85(3-4), pages 313-333, December.
    38. Tyner, Wallace E. & Thaeripour, Farzad, 2007. "Future biofuels policy alternatives," Biofuels, Food and Feed Tradeoffs Conference, April 12-13, 2007, St, Louis, Missouri 48777, Farm Foundation.
    39. Ann Harrison & Margaret McMillan, 2022. "Offshoring Jobs? Multinationals And U.S. Manufacturing Employment," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Globalization, Firms, and Workers, chapter 11, pages 255-273, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    40. Thomas W. Hertel, 2011. "The Global Supply and Demand for Agricultural Land in 2050: A Perfect Storm in the Making?-super- 1," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 93(2), pages 259-275.
    41. Elmar Kriegler & Jae Edmonds & Stéphane Hallegatte & Kristie Ebi & Tom Kram & Keywan Riahi & Harald Winkler & Detlef Vuuren, 2014. "A new scenario framework for climate change research: the concept of shared climate policy assumptions," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 401-414, February.
    42. Justin Christopher Yang & Andres Roman-Urrestarazu & Carol Brayne, 2018. "Binge alcohol and substance use across birth cohorts and the global financial crisis in the United States," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, June.
    43. Islam, Tahir & Pitafi, Abdul Hameed & Arya, Vikas & Wang, Ying & Akhtar, Naeem & Mubarik, Shujaat & Xiaobei, Liang, 2021. "Panic buying in the COVID-19 pandemic: A multi-country examination," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    44. David L. Levy, 2005. "Offshoring in the New Global Political Economy," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 685-693, May.
    45. Martin, Will & Laborde Debucquet, David, 2018. "Trade: The free flow of goods and food security and nutrition," IFPRI book chapters, in: 2018 Global food policy report, chapter 3, pages 20-29, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    46. Vincent H. Smith & Joseph W. Glauber, 2020. "Trade, policy, and food security," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 159-171, January.
    47. Gilles Saint-Paul, 2002. "The Political Economy of Employment Protection," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 110(3), pages 672-701, June.
    48. David R. Just, 2022. "Future of Food Economics," Natural Resource Management and Policy, in: Harry de Gorter & Jill McCluskey & Johan Swinnen & David Zilberman (ed.), Modern Agricultural and Resource Economics and Policy, pages 137-161, Springer.
    49. Will Martin & Kym Anderson, 2006. "Agricultural Trade Reform and the Doha Development Agenda," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6889, April.
    50. Orr, Alastair, 2000. "'Green Gold'?: Burley Tobacco, Smallholder Agriculture, and Poverty Alleviation in Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 347-363, February.
    51. Reymond, Mathias, 2007. "European key issues concerning natural gas: Dependence and vulnerability," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 4169-4176, August.
    52. Kristie Ebi & Stephane Hallegatte & Tom Kram & Nigel Arnell & Timothy Carter & Jae Edmonds & Elmar Kriegler & Ritu Mathur & Brian O’Neill & Keywan Riahi & Harald Winkler & Detlef Vuuren & Timm Zwickel, 2014. "A new scenario framework for climate change research: background, process, and future directions," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 363-372, February.
    53. Marc F. Bellemare, 2015. "Rising Food Prices, Food Price Volatility, and Social Unrest," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 97(1), pages 1-21.
    54. Roberto Esposti & Giulia Listorti, 2013. "Agricultural price transmission across space and commodities during price bubbles," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 44(1), pages 125-139, January.
    55. Sunjin Ahn & F. Bailey Norwood, 2021. "Measuring Food Insecurity during the COVID‐19 Pandemic of Spring 2020," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(1), pages 162-168, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Matin Qaim & Martin C. Parlasca, 2025. "Agricultural Economics and the Transformation Toward Sustainable Agri‐Food Systems," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 56(3), pages 327-335, May.
    2. Tobias Dalhaus & Linda Steinhübel & Bernhard Dalheimer & Liesbeth Colen, 2024. "The future of research on sustainable food systems: Building an early‐career network of agricultural economists in Europe," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(2), pages 319-324, April.
    3. Kjersti Nes & K. Aleks Schaefer & Matthew Gammans & Daniel Paul Scheitrum, 2025. "Extreme weather events, climate expectations, and agricultural export dynamics," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 107(3), pages 826-845, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. T. Brunelle & P. Dumas & W. Ben Aoun & Benoit Gabrielle, 2018. "Unravelling Land-Use Change Mechanisms at Global and Regional Scales," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 1-14, September.
    2. Thomas W. Hertel & Uris Lantz C. Baldos & Dominique van der Mensbrugghe, 2016. "Predicting Long-Term Food Demand, Cropland Use, and Prices," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 8(1), pages 417-441, October.
    3. Jerome Dumortier & Miguel Carriquiry & Amani Elobeid, 2021. "Impact of climate change on global agricultural markets under different shared socioeconomic pathways," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(6), pages 963-984, November.
    4. Brown, Molly E. & Carr, Edward R. & Grace, Kathryn L. & Wiebe, Keith & Funk, Christopher C. & Attavanich, Witsanu & Backlund, Peter & Buja, Lawrence, 2017. "Do markets and trade help or hurt the global food system adapt to climate change?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 154-159.
    5. Hanna, Richard & Gross, Robert, 2021. "How do energy systems model and scenario studies explicitly represent socio-economic, political and technological disruption and discontinuity? Implications for policy and practitioners," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    6. Moyer, Jonathan D., 2023. "Blessed are the peacemakers: The future burden of intrastate conflict on poverty," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    7. Lanzi, Elisa & Dellink, Rob & Chateau, Jean, 2018. "The sectoral and regional economic consequences of outdoor air pollution to 2060," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 89-113.
    8. McManamay, Ryan A. & DeRolph, Christopher R. & Surendran-Nair, Sujithkumar & Allen-Dumas, Melissa, 2019. "Spatially explicit land-energy-water future scenarios for cities: Guiding infrastructure transitions for urban sustainability," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 880-900.
    9. Richard Taylor & Ruth Butterfield & Tiago Capela Lourenço & Adis Dzebo & Henrik Carlsen & Richard J. T. Klein, 2020. "Surveying perceptions and practices of high-end climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 65-87, July.
    10. Roson, Roberto & Damania, Richard, 2016. "Simulating the Macroeconomic Impact of Future Water Scarcity an Assessment of Alternative Scenarios," Conference papers 332687, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    11. Coppens, Léo & Venmans, Frank, 2025. "The welfare properties of climate targets," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    12. De Cian, Enrica & Wing, Ian Sue, "undated". "Global Energy Demand in a Warming Climate," EIA: Climate Change: Economic Impacts and Adaptation 232222, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    13. Tom Wilson & Irina Grossman & Monica Alexander & Phil Rees & Jeromey Temple, 2022. "Methods for Small Area Population Forecasts: State-of-the-Art and Research Needs," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 865-898, June.
    14. Victor Nechifor & Matthew Winning, 2017. "The impacts of higher CO2 concentrations over global crop production and irrigation water requirements," EcoMod2017 10487, EcoMod.
    15. Dugan, Anna & Mayer, Jakob & Thaller, Annina & Bachner, Gabriel & Steininger, Karl W., 2022. "Developing policy packages for low-carbon passenger transport: A mixed methods analysis of trade-offs and synergies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    16. Carl-Friedrich Schleussner & Joeri Rogelj & Michiel Schaeffer & Tabea Lissner & Rachel Licker & Erich M. Fischer & Reto Knutti & Anders Levermann & Katja Frieler & William Hare, 2016. "Science and policy characteristics of the Paris Agreement temperature goal," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(9), pages 827-835, September.
    17. D. J. Rasmussen & Scott Kulp & Robert E. Kopp & Michael Oppenheimer & Benjamin H. Strauss, 2022. "Popular extreme sea level metrics can better communicate impacts," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 170(3), pages 1-17, February.
    18. Sánchez-García, Daniel & Bienvenido-Huertas, David & Kim, Jungsoo & Pisello, Anna Laura, 2025. "Exploring the energy implications of human thermal adaptation to hot temperatures in present and future scenarios: a parametric simulation study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 325(C).
    19. Giuseppe Pulighe & Flavio Lupia & Valentina Manente, 2025. "Climate-Driven Invasion Risks of Japanese Beetle ( Popillia japonica Newman) in Europe Predicted Through Species Distribution Modelling," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-14, March.
    20. Zheng, Zhoumin & Xu, Nuo & Khan, Mohsin & Pedersen, Michael & Abdalgader, Tarteel & Zhang, Lai, 2024. "Nonlinear impacts of climate change on dengue transmission in mainland China: Underlying mechanisms and future projection," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 492(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:oup:erevae:v:50:y:2023:i:4:p:1256-1276.. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Oxford University Press (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/eaaeeea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.