Food Safety and Nutrition Section (FSN) of the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA)
Minutes, Summer
Monday, July 29, 2007
AAEA Board Liaison Helen Jensen reported on the AAEA name revision process.
The treasurer’s report was given by Sandra Hoffmann. The section began the year with a balance of $4,755 and ended with a balance of $4,768. There were total revenues of $1,264, mostly from dues, and expenses of $1,757, mostly associated with the 2006 pre-conference workshop.
Larry Kirsch reported that the Amer. Conference on Consumer Interests will be meeting with the AAEA in Orlando in 2008. They would like to collaborate with the section on tracks to include sessions in which consumer groups think about what are major issues facing consumers.
Neal Hooker and Jim McDonald reported that FAMPS would like to hold a conference on information policy and the food system in the coming year. It would be a research/empricially oriented conference lasting 2-3 days. Possible dates and locations were discussed. Late March 2008 at ERS was raised as a likely time and place. Neal raised the possibility of holding a similar session in Britain. Elise Golan, Tanya Roberts, Conrad Choiniere, and Vicky Salin volunteered to serve on the program committee. There was a discussion of possible topics and invited speakers.
Parke Wilde reported that discussions about possible track session topics last year contributed to a much smoother process of developing a track proposal for this year’s meeting. Substantial time was devoted to discussion of possible session topics for next year’s meeting.
Suggested by / Topic / Possible speakersPaul McNamara / HIV AIDS, Nutrition & Food Security / Patrick Webb (Tufts), Sean Cash (Alberta), Cuffey/McNamara (Illinois)
Elise Golan / Marginal propensity to consume different types of food at different income levels / Andi Carlson, ERS (work on food prices and expenditures)
Andy Este / Antibiotic resistance in agriculture (vegetable production)
Sandy Hoffmann / place holder session on current issues in food safety (like spinach & trade this year) / Elise Golan and Sandy Hoffmann volunteered to work on this. Neal Hooker suggested that this should be done every year.
Parke Wilde / Link between agricultural production and calorie intake/nutrition / Andi Carlson and Jean Buzby may have some ideas on possible speakers
Brian Gould / Methods session – e.g., propensity score matching, could be jointly sponsored with the new Econometrics Section
Neal Hooker / role of nutritional labeling in food service / Vicky Salin volunteered to work with Neal Hooker on this
Vicky Salin volunteered to head up the solicitation and selection of an award winning paper for next year. Conrad Choiniere volunteered to work on the organizing committee and Wendy Yu may also be interested.
Elections – past chair organizes the election. Andy Este volunteered to help with the nomination committee.
Tanya Robert’s upcoming retirement was announced and the section recognized her very significant contributions to foodsafety policy and economics.
The meeting closed with a round of brief introductions by all present.
On November 16, 2008 there will be an Interagency Risk Assessment Consortium meeting on the interaction between economics and risk assessment.
The meeting adjourned.
The 2nd Annual Food and Nutrition Section Best Paper Award was presented to David Henessey and Giancarlo Moschini for their paper “Regulatory Actions Under Adjustment Costs And The Resolution Of Scientific Uncertainty,” American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 88, 2, pp. 308-323, May, 2006.