USDA Chief Economist Is Keynote Speaker At University Of Guelph Conference In Ottawa

Agri-food leaders from across Canada will gather in Ottawa on April 5 to hear United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Chief Economist Joseph Glauber offer his insights on international agri-food trade and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Dr. Glauber’s presentation is part of a conference called Growing Our Future: Making sense of national food strategies presented by the Institute for the Advanced Study of Food and Agricultural Policy, based in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph. 

Department chair Alan Ker says the conference will be a unique opportunity to gain a sense of how Canada’s agri-food strategies stack up. 

“We’re fortunate that Dr. Glauber is willing to share his perspective on US trade and agri-food policy, given Canada’s dependence on international markets,” says Dr. Ker. 

As Chief Economist, Dr. Glauber is responsible for the USDA's agricultural forecasts and projections and for advising the Secretary of Agriculture on the economic implications of alternative programs, regulations, and legislative proposals. He’s also responsible for the Office of the Chief Economist, the World Agricultural Outlook Board, the Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit analysis, the Global Change Program Office, and the Office of Energy Policy and New Uses. 

Other speakers at the conference will address specific issues regarding national agri-food strategies. Their presentations will help attendees make sense of which strategies make solid economic sense and which are counter-productive to national fiscal growth.  

“We have all these policy options on the table. It’s time to identify the options that don’t make sense economically and move them off the table and into the trash can,” says Dr. Ker. 

Some of the other topics and speakers at the Growing Our Future conference include: 

•    Biofuels and agricultural policy - Bruno Larue, Professor and Canada Research Chair in International Agri-food Trade, Laval University; and Director of the Center for Research on the Economics of the Environment, Agri-food, Transports and Energy (CREATE)

•    The role of agri-food policy in shaping health - John Cranfield, Professor, Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Guelph; and President, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society (CAES) 
 
•    Food security - Murray Fulton, Professor, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy; and
Associate Member, Department of Bioresource Policy, Business and Economics, University of Saskatchewan

•    Environmental beneficial management practices, policies and outcomes - James Vercammen, Professor, Food and Resource Economics, Strategy and Business Economics, University of British Columbia; and Past President, CAES

The April 5 conference will be held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa. For a full agenda and more information on registration, go to fare.uoguelph.ca/institute/conference.html or contact Debbie Harkies at dharkies@uoguelph.ca or 519-824-4120 ext. 53625.

The Institute for the Advanced Study of Food and Agricultural Policy is housed within the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph. The mission of the institute is to provide independent, credible, and timely policy analysis with respect to socially significant food and agricultural issues.