2026 AAEA Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City

2026 AAEA Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City

PC14 Innovating for Sustainability

Fee: Students & ECP: $40, General $60
Location: Kansas City Marriott Downtown
Date/Time:     Saturday, July 25        8:30 am – 5:00 pm                    
Lunch Provided

Brief Description of Topic: The challenges we face today—such as resource depletion, environmental degradation, and climate change—urge us to adopt a new mindset. The traditional "take-make-dispose" model is no longer viable; it's time for a more sustainable approach that aligns with natural systems. This is where the circular bioeconomy comes into play. It's an innovative concept that promotes the sustainable utilization of biological resources, reduces waste, and keeps valuable materials in circulation, effectively separating economic progress from environmental harm. This idea is not merely theoretical; it offers practical solutions for creating a resilient, sustainable, and equitable future. The proposed pre-conference workshop aims to provide participants with tools to implement these ideas effectively.

Relevance to AAEA Members/Meeting Attendees: The primary objective of the one-day workshop is to advance understanding and identify pathways for building a climate-smart, sustainable future through the circular bioeconomy. As an engaging platform, the workshop will feature insights from a diverse panel of soil scientists, engineers, agricultural economists, and policymakers. Participants will learn from tangible examples, such as reduced tillage in agriculture and the conversion of wood waste into bioenergy. The agenda also includes exploring emerging trends such as biorefineries and advanced biomaterials, and discussing scaling these solutions. Organized by the Circular Bioeconomy System Institute (CBSI) and the Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics (C-FARE), the workshop aims to unite AAEA members, federal and state employees, and related professionals to identify information gaps, define research paths, and discuss the crucial role of policy.

Agenda

The goal of this one-day workshop is to understand better the circular bioeconomy and its effects on the economy and the environment, engage with economists and engineers, and gain a new perspective. The participants will use the insights developed in this workshop to identify research gaps, challenges, and opportunities.

Time

Event

8:30 to 8:40



 

Introductory remarks

  • Gal Hochman: C-FARE board chair and Professor of Environmental
    and Resource Economics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
     

8:40 to 9:15





 

Introduction to the Circular Bioeconomy: From the Valorization of 
Waste and Pollution to Bioproducts and Bioenergy

  • Erin Webb: Chair, ASABE – Circular Bioeconomy Systems Institute;
    Group Leader, Bioresource Science & Engineering and Laboratory
    Relationship Manager, DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office, Oak Ridge
    National Laboratory
     

9:15 to 9:30
 

Coffee break
 

9:30 to 11:00









 

Panel Session I: Valorization of waste and pollution
3 speakers (15 minutes, each), followed with discussion

Speakers:

  • Vincenzina Caputo: Professor, Department of Agricultural, Food,
    and Resource Economics, Michigan State University

  • Deepak Rajagopal: Professor, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA

  • Gopinath (Gopi) Munisamy: Distinguished Professor of Agricultural Marketing,
    University of Georgia
     
11:00 to 12:30







 		 Keynote speaker Lunch:
  • 11:00 to 11:30: Keynote presentation: Decisions Driven by Demand: Aligning Ag Trade Insights with Feed Industry Action
  • 11:30 to 1:45: Q&A
  • 11:45 to 12:30: Lunch and informal networking
  • Lara Moody: lmoody@afia.org Executive Director, the Institute for Feed Education and Research, American Feed Industry Association (https://www.afia.org/about-afia/staff-directory/lara-moody/)

12:30 to 2:00














 

Panel Session II: Drivers of bio-products and the future of bioenergy
4 speakers (15 minutes, each), followed with discussion

Speakers:

  • Jeffery O’Hara: Deputy Director, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses,
    United States Department of Agriculture

  • Yuanhui Zhang: Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering,
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  • John Reid: Executive Director, Center for Digital Agriculture, Research Professor,
    Computer Science and Agricultural and Biological Engineering,
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  • Daniela Jones: Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department,
    North Carolina State University
     

2:00 to 3:15










 

Panel Session III: Obstacles and opportunities for policy response,
Rural America as a case study
4 speakers (15 minutes, each), followed with discussion

Speakers:

  • Madhu Khanna: Distinguished Professor in Environmental Economics,
    University of Illinois

  • Brian Roe: Distinguished Professor, Ohio State University

  • David Zilberman: Robinson Chair in the Department of Agricultural & Resource
    Economics, UC Berkley
     

3:15 to 3:30
 

Coffee break
 

3:30 to 4:30






 

Breakout session: summary of key findings and paths forward Questions
asked of the breakout session may include:

  • "What are the top three policy recommendations to support the circular
    bioeconomy in rural America?"

  • "Identify key research gaps that need to be addressed to advance the
    circular bioeconomy."
     

4:30 to 5:00

 

Reporting Back: Breakout groups report their key findings to the rest of
the workshop participants.
 

5:00 to 5:15
 

Wrap-up and next steps
 

5:15 to 6:00
 

Networking reception
 
   

Important Dates