A conference, “Alternative Policies on Climate Changes and Their Implications on the U.S. Agricultural Economy” is set for May 24 at the Ramada Plaza and Suites in Fargo.

“The major theme of the conference is to assess the impact of emerging climate change policies in U.S. agricultural production, competitiveness and farm income,” says Won Koo, director of the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies at North Dakota State University. “Invited to attend are academics, government officials, industry leaders, agricultural producers, policy makers and the public.”

Issues to be addressed include:

• The potential impact of climate change policies on land use and food production
• Economics of sequestering carbon on U.S. agriculture
• Alternative policy options in reduction greenhouse gas emissions
• Emerging issues for the U.S. food and livestock industries

Conference speakers include Roger Johnson, National Farmers Union president; Bob Young, American Farm Bureau Federation chief economist; William Hohenstein, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Climate Change Program director; Dennis Nuxoll, American Farmland Trust public relations director; Rick Gilmore, GIC Group president and CEO; Dave Berg, American Crystal Sugar CEO; Neil Conklin, Farm Foundation president; Robert Carlson, North Dakota Farmers Union president; Doug Goehring, North Dakota Department of Agriculture commissioner and academic experts on climate change and agriculture.

Also invited are U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan and North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven.

To register, go to http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/capts/ and click on CAPTS conferences.

The conference fee is $100 for those registering by April 30. The fee is $150 after that date. The registration fee includes conference materials, breakfast, lunch, refreshments during breaks and a small reception immediately following.

The conference is sponsored by the NDSU Center for Agricultural Policies and Trade Studies, NDSU BioEPIC, NDSU Office of the Vice President for Agriculture and University Extension, North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, Farm Foundation, North Dakota Farmers Union and North Dakota Department of Agriculture.

NDSU Agriculture Communication