(07/19/22) BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation recently gave the LSU AgCenter a generous endowment to fund two professorships in agricultural policy.

The Louisiana Farm Bureau Professorships in Agricultural Policy were awarded to AgCenter economists Michael Deliberto and Kurt Guidry.

“We know the only way to feed a growing population using fewer inputs on less land is through research and extension,” said Louisiana Farm Bureau President Jim Harper. “This endowment is an investment that will bring returns for Louisiana agriculture for generations to come.”

Each of the two professorships will receive an endowment of $400,000, which includes a private donation plus a Louisiana Board of Regents match. A typical professorship endowment is $100,000.

Deliberto said it is a privilege to be awarded the professorship.

“Resources from this endowment will assist my efforts to provide current policy-related analysis that can be used by stakeholders in Louisiana to assess risk management strategies, farm bill program structure and federal disaster assistance,” he said. “I am extremely humbled and thankful to receive such a high honor from the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.”

Guidry echoed the sentiments of Deliberto, saying that the AgCenter and the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness and its faculty have had a long history of working with the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation on issues that are critical to stakeholders.

“I am extremely grateful and humbled to receive this professorship,” Guidry said. “Some of the most enjoyable work of my career to this point has been work done with and for the Farm Bureau because it has had significant impact either through getting positive policy implemented, keeping negative policy from being implemented or for getting financial assistance to producers.”

Guidry went on to give positive examples of the work he has previously conducted alongside the Farm Bureau.

“I have worked with the Farm Bureau on a variety of different issues over the years from farm bill policy to labor issues to tax issues to marketing issues,” he said. “Most recently, I worked with Farm Bureau to estimate the impact of COVID on the crawfish industry and to help petition the USDA to include crawfish as a commodity in their COVID relief program.”

Professorship recipients must demonstrate excellence in research and extension related to agricultural and farm policy relevant to the Louisiana agricultural industry at the state and federal levels.

Examples of relevant areas of research and extension include analysis and evaluation of farm policy, conservation options, agricultural disaster programs, land use values, agriculture-related tax issues, economic value of Louisiana agricultural production and economic impact of agricultural infrastructure.

“Louisiana Farm Bureau just celebrated 100 years as the state’s largest general farm organization,” Harper said. “There are times in our history, especially the 1930s and ‘40s, when the LSU AgCenter kept our organization alive. This is just one small way we can give back.”

LSU AgCenter economist Michael Deliberto was named one of the recipients of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Professorships in Agricultural Policy valued at $400,000. LSU AgCenter photo

LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry was named one of the recipients of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Professorships in Agricultural Policy valued at $400,000. LSU AgCenter photo