TITLE: IMPROVING SCHOLARLY CONTRIBUTIONS TO AGRICULTURE POLICY: FOURTH ANNUAL JOINT AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS-POLITICAL SCIENCECONFERENCEPRIMARY INVESTIGATOR/CONFERENCE CHAIRPERSON: DR. JOE WEINBERG, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPITHEPURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH CONFERENCE IS TO FOSTER GREATER COMMUNICATION AMONG THE DISCIPLINES THAT STUDY MATTERS OF AGRICULTURE POLICY--SPECIFICALLYAGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS ANDPOLITICAL SCIENCE. IT IS APPARENT THAT SUCH AN EXCHANGE IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO IMPROVE SCHOLARLY RESEARCH ON AGRICULTURE POLICYAND ANY SUBSEQUENT POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS. FOR TWO DISCIPLINES WORKING ON (OSTENSIBLY) THE SAME ISSUES, THERE IS VERY LITTLECOMMUNICATION BETWEEN AND AMONG SCHOLARS. NOT SURPRISINGLY, US AND INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE POLICIES ARE BOTH INEFFICIENT ANDNOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT TO ALTER. THIS INTERDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCE CAN HELP ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS.THIS WILL BE THE FOURTH SUCHCONFERENCE,THE FIRST BEING HELD IN 2017, THE SECOND IN 2020 AND THE THIRD IN 2021.ALL FUNDED GENEROUSLY THROUGH NIFA GRANTS.THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE FOR THISCONFERENCE IS THAT WE INTEND TO STRATEGICALLY EXPLAND THE SCOPE OF DISCIPLINES BEYOND AGRICULTURE ECONOMICS AN POLITICAL SCIENCE IN ORDER TO BETTER ADDRESS COMMON PROBLEMS. MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF THE PAST PARTICIPANTS HAVE AGREED TO RETURN AND TO SERVE AS PANEL CHAIRS AND DISCUSSANTSFORPANELS AND POSTER SESSIONS--WITH THE BULK OF THE PAPERS PRESENTED BY GRADUATE STUDENTS AND JUNIOR FACULTY.THE CONFERENCE IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 13-15, 2023ATTHE SHERATON IN NEW ORLEANS, LA. I WILL NOW BEGINSOLICITINGPAPERS THROUGH OUR WEBSITE WWW.AGPOLICYSCHOLARS.ORG. I WILL THEN BEGIN MATCHMAKING THESE SCHOLARS ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES,BASED ON SHARED INTERESTS, TO PRESENT AND DISCUSS PAPERS ON A SERIES OF PANELS ORGANIZED AROUND THE PROGRAM PRIORITY AREAS FORA1641: ECONOMICS, MARKETS AND TRADE.EACH PANELTHEME COMBINES CURRENT NEEDS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF US AGRICULTURE WITH WELL-ESTABLISHED RESEARCH AREASFROM THESE TWO DISCIPLINES. SELECTED PAPERS FROM THE CONFERENCE WILL THEN BE COMPILED, EDITED, AND SUBMITTED AS A SPECIAL ISSUEOF FOOD POLICY.