Agribusiness, Food, and Consumer Economics Research Center

Our Mission: AFCERC provides analyses, strategic planning, and forecasts of the market conditions impacting domestic and global agricultural, agribusiness, and food industries. Our high-quality, objective, and timely research supports strategic decision-making at all levels of the supply chain from producers to processors, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. An enhanced emphasis on consumer economics adds depth to our research on the behavioral and social aspects of health, nutrition, and food safety. AFCERC is a research and outreach service of Texas AgriLife Research and Extension and resides within the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University. AFCERC Principals: Dr. Capps is Co-Director and chief resource development officer. He is holder of the Southwest Dairy Marketing Endowed Chair and an executive professor of agricultural economics and a Regents Professor. He also leads AFCERC research and outreach projects relating to food industry performance, pricing, and consumer behavior. Dr. Capps is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in demand analysis, specializing in working with large data bases. Dr. Salin is Co-Director and chief financial officer. She manages the budget, staffing, and day-to-day operations of the Center. She leads the research and outreach projects of the Center relating to food safety, traceability, financial markets, and strategic management. Dr. Williams is Co-Director and chief operations officer responsible for managing the research program of the Center. He is a professor and leads research and outreach projects relating to commodity and agribusiness markets and policy and international trade and policy. His areas of teaching and research emphases include commodity promotion programs, international agricultural trade and development, agricultural policy, and marketing and price analysis.