AFRE Professor and Graduate Students attend the Midwest Agriculture Conference
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EmailOn September 30, 2025, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago held conference featuring experts from academia, industry, and policy institutions that explored the evolving global trade environment and its impacts on Midwest agriculture.
Agriculture experts from academia, industry, and policy institutions gathered together in Chicago on September 30, 2025 for a conference, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, focused on addressing the global trade environment and its uncertainty. Professor and Noel W. Stuckman Chair, David Ortega, was invited to present at the conference and was accompanied by two AFRE graduate students, Gerald Van Tassell and Rundong Peng.
Ortega’s presentation at the conference focused on geography of agricultural and food trade. He highlighted key trading partners, the importance of international markets to U.S. agriculture, and how current trade policies are affecting both producers and consumers.
“I emphasized that trade is critical to the health of U.S. agriculture and to keeping food affordable for consumers,” Ortega explained. “Policies that create uncertainty or limit market access can ripple across the entire food system, affecting farm incomes, supply chains, and consumer prices.”
This conference also provided an opportunity for the graduate students, Van Tassell and Peng, to see how the economic analysis they do at MSU informs decision-making at institutions like the Federal Reserve. They both attended the conference primarily to learn about the current state of U.S. trade policy
Van Tassell shared, “We learned a lot about how the ongoing trade war with China is impacting the US soybean market, Brazil’s growing competitiveness in corn and soybeans, and how the recent tariffs and tariff uncertainty are flowing through to food price inflation.”
“The speakers at the conference offered deep insights into trade-related issues among different agricultural commodities,” Peng added. “I learned the challenges as well as opportunities that American farmers have which sparks research questions. The discussion by the president of Chicago Federal Reserve offered me the perspective of the Federal Reserve Board on interest rate and overall economic stability.”
Ortega further added, “The trip also provided a valuable opportunity for our graduate students to engage directly with professionals working at the intersection of agriculture and monetary policy.”
The conference offered a great forum to exchange ideas with economists and to connect research with real-world policy discussions. With more than 10 speakers, from academia to industry, addressing various topics on the U.S. economy, this conference also allowed for a rewarding educational experience for everyone.
More information about the conference and Ortega’s presentation recording can be found here.
