Two new reports highlight impact of USDA Economic Research Service
The 2017 ERS Annual Report highlights how ERS research is used by those who routinely make or influence public policy and program decisions. For example, ERS research indicating that veterans are over-represented in rural America is being used by “policy makers in USDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs and is part of a longer-term ERS focus on understanding the social and economic characteristics of rural veterans and their role in contributing to rural well-being.” Access the full ERS 2017 Annual Report here.
In addition, the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation (RMF) conducted a study of the ERS and released a report this month titled “Economic Research Service: Specialized Agency Functions and Public Goods’ Provision,” which “summarizes the agency’s outsized impact serving the public goals of USDA programs and in contributing to the practice of agricultural and applied economics.” The RMF Special Report is available here (PDF).