Agricultural production has responded to evolving trends associated with local farming conditions for decades. Producers contend with a variety of weather challenges on a regular basis and often apply new technologies or practices to mitigate risks or leverage opportunities. As new risks or opportunities emerge from year to year, producers may choose to grow a different type of crop, apply a different type of input, or modify the size of an operation or livestock herd based on available resources. Over time, decisions made at the local level by farmers, businesses, and investors lead to broader changes in the geographical footprint of agriculture.

The 2023 Agricultural Symposium, “The Changing Geography of Agricultural Production” will explore the factors driving changes in where and how agricultural commodities are produced, disruptions that are leading to further geographical changes, and the role of investments and farm policy in the years ahead. On the first day of the symposium, speakers will discuss how patterns of agricultural production are changing and how weather disruptions are affecting farm decisions in both the near-term and longer-term. On the second day of the symposium, speakers will discuss how regional changes in agricultural production are affecting investment and lending decisions, and how policies related to agriculture are setting the stage for the structure of the industry in the future.

The program will take place in-person at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City on May 23 and 24, 2023. Interested in attending? External LinkRequest an invitation to the 2023 Agricultural Symposium.


Agenda

May 23, 2023

12:00 p.m.

Lunch Available

1:00 p.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

host:
Nate Kauffman
Senior Vice President, Economist, and Omaha Branch Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
2:00 p.m.

Session 1: Production Trends and Drivers

Speakers will discuss how geographical patterns of agricultural production are changing, identify the primary drivers, and discuss how future shifts are likely to evolve.

speaker:
Holger Matthey
Senior Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
panelist:
Kimberly Ratcliff
Owner/Manager, Caney Creek Ranch
panelist:
Brandon Hunnicutt
Owner/Partner, Hunnicutt Farms
moderator:
Cortney Cowley
Senior Economist, Regional Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
3:40 p.m.

Session 2: Weather Disruptions and Growing Conditions

Speakers will discuss how disruptions related to severe weather are affecting agricultural production decisions in the near-term and the longer-term, and the strategies to mitigate risks.

speaker:
David Lobell
Professor, Stanford University
panelist:
Neal Keppy
General Manager, Keppy Family Farms
moderator:
Francisco Scott
Economist, Economic Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
5:00 p.m.

Reception and Dinner

May 24, 2023

7:30 a.m.

Breakfast Available

8:30 a.m.

Day 2 Welcome

host:
Nate Kauffman
Senior Vice President, Economist, and Omaha Branch Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
8:50 a.m.

Session 3: Investing in Future Agricultural Production

Speakers will discuss how geographical changes in agricultural production are affecting investment and lending decisions, and how these decisions might evolve in the years ahead.

speaker:
Jackson Takach
Chief Economist, Farmer Mac
panelist:
Chris Olson
Head of Rural, U.S., Rabo AgriFinance
panelist:
Maggie Monast
Senior Director, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Environmental Defense Fund
moderator:
Todd Kuethe
Visiting Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and, Associate Professor, Purdue University
10:30 a.m.

Session 4: The Policy Landscape

Speakers will discuss how policies connected to agriculture are responding to changes in the location of agricultural production and risks that may be associated with those changes.

speaker:
Marion Janson
Director of the Trade and Agriculture Directorate, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
panelist:
Laura Wood Peterson
President, Laura Wood Peterson Consulting, Inc.
panelist:
Gregg Doud
Chief Economist, Aimpoint Research
moderator:
Ty Kreitman
Assistant Economist, Regional Affairs, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
12:00 p.m.

Lunch

host:
Nate Kauffman
Senior Vice President, Economist, and Omaha Branch Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City