The December C-FARE webinar focuses on the complexities of the inflationary period the U.S. is facing.  Matthew MacLachlan, Michael Adjemian, and David Ortega will present an overview of their work on inflation as it relates to agriculture, food, and natural resources.  Then C-FARE board member Jane Kolodinsky will pose several questions to the panel and each will have the opportunity to provide their insights into the complexity of inflation in 2022 and into the new year. 

Food insecurity implies difficulty getting enough food at some time during the year. The causes are multifactorial and often include poverty, unemployment, low income, lack of affordable housing, chronic health conditions or lack of access to healthcare, and systemic racism and racial discrimination. Before and during the pandemic, food insecurity in the United States (US) has been disproportionately higher among low-income and rural populations and communities of color. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic ramifications, in 2021, food insecurity initially jumped to the highest level in decades, affecting over 20% of Americans -- approximately 1 in 4 households. According to a 2021 USDA Economic Research Service report, 10.2 percent or 13.5 million American households are food insecure. In addition, more than half (about 56 percent) of food-insecure households reported that in the previous month, they participated in one or more of the three most extensive Federal nutrition assistance programs: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); or the National School Lunch Program. 

Agriculture provides food for humans, fiber, and livelihoods for billions of people worldwide and is a critical resource for sustainable development in many regions. Regardless, agriculture also provides many ecosystem services and opportunities for climate change mitigation and removal of greenhouse gases (GHG).

To effectively leverage their assets for long-term, shared prosperity, rural communities need robust local capacity that has strong connections at the regional, state, and federal levels. Some rural communities have this strong, connected local capacity while others do not. Unfortunately, the historically challenged rural communities that most need these critical capacities and connections to alter their future trajectories are the least likely to have them.

To effectively leverage their assets for long-term, shared prosperity, rural communities need a robust local capacity with solid connections at the regional, state, and federal levels. Some rural communities have this strong, connected local capacity, while others do not. Historically challenged rural communities especially lack these critical capacities and connections to alter their future trajectories. Given these realities, how can federal policymakers and their partners best support rural communities as they work to build and maintain the capabilities necessary to create shared economic prosperity in the future?

While rural America is in no way a monolith, many rural communities have in recent years been confronted by challenging economic, demographic, and climatic trends that have limited their ability to achieve durable, inclusive economic prosperity. And yet, those same rural communities contain valuable assets that, if properly leveraged, could be a foundation on which to build equitable future prosperity and community vitality. But, doing so effectively requires robust local capacity connected to and supported by regional and national partners.

While economists recommend using market incentives, policymakers often use regulation to achieve agricultural and environmental resource management objectives. In the case of Environmental Policies, we have various forms of command and control. We have semi-market-based policies and regulations in agriculture, such as crop insurance, inventory control, biotechnology regulation, and conservation-reserve programs. Understanding the impact and motivation for these alternative policies is challenging yet valuable.

Agriculture is unique among most sectors in the economy, as agriculture's mitigation potential from both an enhancement of removals of greenhouse gases (GHG) and reduction of emissions through management of land is significant. Agriculture provides food for humans, fiber, livelihoods for billions of people worldwide and is a critical resource for sustainable development in many regions. However, agriculture also provides many ecosystem services and opportunities for climate change mitigation.

In the upcoming webinar on February 25th, we will summarize the current facts about disparities in pollution exposure across the United States and present new evidence on their causes and consequences. The panelists will summarize how residential exposure to air pollution varies by age, race, health, and Medicaid eligibility, and discuss factors believed to contribute to those disparities including differences in household income, differences in information about pollution, and discrimination in housing markets.

While the widespread availability and use of online grocery shopping is a benefit to many consumers in terms of convenience and safety, online shopping platforms are curated environments. The potential of tools like dynamic pricing or online nudges could have substantial implications for consumers and producers.