The Agricultural and Food Policy Center conducts analyses of the impacts of government policy proposals and/or implementation procedures on farmers, agribusinesses, taxpayers, and consumers. Its primary constituency is the U.S. Congress, particularly the Agriculture Committees. (House, Senate) AFPC also conducts research and/or educational programs for government agencies, farm and agribusiness organizations, and agricultural leadership throughout Texas and the nation.

Select AFPC functions include

• Respond to legislative requests for analyses of agricultural and food policy options.
• Identify and define emerging agricultural, resource and food policy issues.
• Identify and clarify agricultural and food policy options.
• Analyze the impacts of changes in macroeconomic policy on agriculture.
• Develop educational programs and publications to explain the results of AFPC research and improve understanding of policy options and their consequences.
• Provide leadership in developing new scientific methods for analyzing public policy issues.

People

AFPC was created by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in 1983. In the tradition as a land-grant university, it was established as a joint activity between Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and Texas A&M University. As such, faculty members hold appointments with teaching, research, and extension responsibilities.

To carry out the Center's research program, the Center maintains a close working relationship with two other institutions: The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri and the Economic Research Service at the USDA. FAPRI provides a source of commodity prices to AFPC for analyzing the farm-level impacts of specific policy proposals, while the Economic Research Service/USDA cooperates on farm costs, returns, and structural and policy relationships.