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Government Relations

Budget and Appropriations Update

Both the US House and Senate approved the agricultural appropriations bills out of the appropriations committees. While floor time is not expected, there are some difference in the bills that have implications for the profession both. Namely, the appropriations levels for the Economic Research Service and the National Agricultural Statistics Service are at 2014 levels in the House bill and roughly at 2015 levels in the Senate bill. Additionally, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s premier competitive grants program gets a $10M boost in the House bill, but stays at FY15 levels in the Senate bill.

For more information on what C-FARE, COPAFs, and other organizations are doing to increase awareness of the incredible importance of agricultural statistics and analysis, please see the Friends of Agricultural Statistics and Analysis section below.

Please see the full documents here:

Office of the Chief Economist

  • 2015 Appropriation: $17,377,000
  • 2016 Estimate (President’s Budget): $17,465,000
  • House 2016 Committee: $16,777,000
  • Senate 2016 Committee: $16,777,000

Both the House and Senate language indicates a strong interest in information on drought resilience. US Congress is concerned about the extent and severity of drought in the US and recognizes the importance of understanding and being prepared for drought. As a result, it encourages the OCE to continue research and work with partners on drought resilience efforts to better address the serious threat posed by drought in the US Policy Research. There is $4M for policy research related to complex economic and baseline analysis for the benefit of USDA, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Congress.

Economic Research Service (ERS)

  • 2015 Appropriation: $85,373,000
  • 2016 Estimate (President’s Budget): $86,023,000
  • House 2016 Committee: $78,058,000
  • Senate 2016 Committee: $85,373,000

The US Senate expressed an interest in all of the areas that ERS covers, but the bill has specific language related to organic data analysis. It states that the organic industry has grown at a tremendous rate over the past several years and accurate data for the reproduction, pricing and marketing of organic products is essential. There were no comments to this regard in the House Bill.

National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

  • 2015 Appropriation: $172,408,000
  • 2016 Estimate (President’s Budget): $180,346,000
  • House 2016 Committee: $161,206,000
  • Senate 2016 Committee: $168,108,000

The Senate bill recommends additional focus pollinators and the Chemical Use Program. The Senate version also includes funding to reinstate the vineyard production survey that gathers information essential about annual pricing and purchasing agreements, as well as long-term production planning. The House includes no language for NASS regarding priorities.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Research and Education Activities

  • 2015 Appropriation: $786,874,000 (AFRI - $325M)
  • 2016 Estimate (President’s Budget): $990,788,000 (AFRI - $450M)
  • House 2016 Appropriations Committee: $781,510,000 (AFRI - $335M)
  • Senate 2016 Appropriations Committee: $791,096,000 (AFRI - $325M)

Please see the full documents here:

  • House, Appropriations Committee Passed, FY16 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
  • Senate, Appropriations Committee Passed, FY16 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
  • President’s Request for FY16

Friends of Agricultural Statistics and Analysis

Friends of Agricultural Statistics and Analysis (FASA) stakeholders depend on the reliable production of timely, accurate, and objective food, agricultural, rural economic, and resource statistics and market information. FASA supports the maintenance and growth of agriculture, food, and resource statistics and analysis.

The USDA produces a vast amount of data and information that directly inform decisions by food and agricultural market participants, agricultural input and food businesses, banks and other credit institutions and those who make food, farm, economic development, and trade policy. American agriculture, rural America, food, and resource-based industries depend on the reliable production of timely, accurate, and objective food, agricultural, rural economic, and resource statistics and market information. FASA supports the maintenance and growth of agriculture, food, and resource statistics, data, and analysis through the USDA Research, Education and Economics Mission Area (USDA REE), as well as other sources in the USDA portfolio.

During the FY16 budget and appropriations discussion, FASA sent two letters to the House and Senate. Please see all of the letters sent here. If you know of an organization or company interested in joining FASA, please have them contact agricultural.statistics@gmail.com. FASA seeks to expand! Thank you.

AAEA Government Relations and Policy Outreach at the AAEA Meetings in San Francisco


  • Government Relations Breakfast, July 26, 8:00 AM-10:00 AM PT, Marriott Marquis, Pacific I

At the 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting on Sunday, July 26 at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in the Pacific I, the Blue Ribbon Expert Panels and AAEA section leaders are invited to attend a breakfast. The breakfast will include a presentation from Robin Schoen, the Director of the National Academies of Sciences' Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources. The group will be discussing the Agricultural and Applied Economics 2025 Priorities and Solutions Project which C-FARE will facilitate in 2015 - 2016. Please RSVP for the event. *The new AAEA Government Relations Committee and C-FARE have invited Robin to attend the AAEA Meetings. If there are events that you’d like Robin to be aware of, please let Caron, the C-FARE Executive Director know at cgala@cfare.org. Thank you.

Come join Cheryl Wachenheim, member of the AAEA Outreach Committee, to learn more about avenues to share the results of your work including press releases, blogs, and social media.

Tuesday, July 28, 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM PT (Senior Section Joint with AEM)

Program Leaders, Robbin Shoemaker (USDA NIFA), and Nancy Lutz (NSF SBE) will be speaking.

Research Funding Opportunities

NSF Economic Program

The Economics program supports research designed to improve the understanding of the processes and institutions of the U.S. economy and of the world system of which it is a part. This program also strengthens both empirical and theoretical economic analysis as well as the methods for rigorous research on economic behavior. It supports research in almost every area of economics, including econometrics, economic history, environmental economics, finance, industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, macroeconomics, mathematical economics, and public finance.

The Economics program welcomes proposals for individual or multi-investigator research projects, doctoral dissertation improvement awards, conferences, workshops, symposia, experimental research, data collection and dissemination, computer equipment and other instrumentation, and research experience for undergraduates. The program places a high priority on interdisciplinary research. Investigators are encouraged to submit proposals of joint interest to the Economics Program and other NSF programs and NSF initiative areas. The program places a high priority on broadening participation and encourages proposals from junior faculty, women, other underrepresented minorities, Research Undergraduate Institutions, and EPSCoR states.

Report prepared by Caron Gala, the Executive Director of the Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics. Contact Caron at cgala@cfare.org.