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Agriculture and the Conservation of Wildlife Biodiversity - Comparative analysis of policies in the USA and the EU

Andrew Manale

Center for Environmental Economics

Environmental Protection Agency

Andy Manale is an expert on agricultural and natural resource policy in the National Center for Environmental Economics at US Environmental Protection Agency. With the assistance of USDA’s Agricultural Wildlife Conservation Service and staff at USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the Wildlife Society and in collaboration with economists at Germany’s Von Thuenen Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry, and Fisheries, Andy produced a report comparing European Union and United States policies regarding wildlife biodiversity conservation on agricultural lands. The report was recently presented at the International Conference on 'Handling Global Challenges - Managing Biosafety and Biodiversity in a Global World - EU, US, California and Comparative Perspectives at the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and the Arts in Brussels, Belgium.

Andy will present the key findings and conclusions of the study comparing EU and US wildlife biodiversity conservation policies on agricultural lands. He will also discuss the suggestions that arose from the Brussels conference on research collaborations that would benefit wildlife biodiversity conservation in both systems. The paper can be found at http://igov.berkeley.edu/papers0809.html.

DATE: Tuesday, July 7, 2009

TIME: Noon – 1:30 PM

PLACE: Amber Waves Room, Economic Research Service

3rd Floor, 1800 M Street, NW

SPONSORS: USDA Economists Group www.usdaeconomists.org

CONTACT: Janet Perry, ERS, 202 694-5152, jperry@ers.usda.gov

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USDA Economists Group

Social Networking Happy Hour

Thursday, 16 July 2009, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

The USDA Economists Group welcomes economists and allied professionals to a summer happy hour at Poste Brasserie - Bar & Courtyard

Please join us after a hard day's work to socialize with colleagues over a summer drink.

Happy Hour Specials:

$5 Red ond White Wine, Som Adorns, ond Truffled Frites

Location: Poste Brasserie Bar & Courtyard (inside Hotel Monaco)

555 8th Street, NW

Washington DC 20004

Nearest metro: Gallery Place (red line)

RSVP to: petro. schultze@wdc.usdo.gov

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Politics and Players Driving Agricultural and Rural Policy

FEATURED SPEAKER: Sara Wyant, President

Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.

Sara Wyant is the President of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc., a diversified communications firm with offices in Washington, D.C., Little Rock, Arkansas, and St. Charles, Illinois. A veteran farm policy reporter, she is well recognized on Capitol Hill as well as with farm and commodity associations across the country. Agri-Pulse includes the latest updates on farm policy, commodity and conservation programs, trade, food safety, rural development, and environmental and regulatory programs.

Sara served as Chairman of the Farm Foundation’s Board of Trustees, the Steering Committee for the 25 x '25 Renewable Energy Group, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center at Iowa State. She is a past president of the American Agricultural Editors’ Association. She received an Oscar in Agriculture for excellence in agricultural reporting and received the United Soybean Board's producer communications award. Sara is an honorary member of Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE).

DATE: Wednesday, July 22, 2009

TIME: Noon - 1:30 p.m.

PLACE: USDA Headquarters (South Building) - Rear of South building Cafeteria

SPONSOR: USDA Economists Group www.usdaeconomists.org

Contact: JH Bahn, CSREES, hbahn@csrees.usda.gov

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Contact: Janet Perry, ERS, (202) 694-5152, jperry@ers.usda.gov