2026-01: PAER Outlook 2026

Welcome to the 2026 PAER Outlook issue! This year’s issue is our biggest in years, showcasing the broad range of engagement in Purdue’s Agricultural Economics department. The first part of this issue offers articles that focus on the different aspects of the economy and policy, including the overall economy, trade and regional economic indicators.

The second part of the issue features our traditional agricultural outlook topics with articles focused on the outlook for agricultural commodities and markets, including agricultural land and credit markets. Finally, we close the issue with two articles that make use of new measures to examine Indiana’s economic performance from a community perspective.

This outlook issue offers a snapshot of the analysis and engagement activities of our department’s faculty and staff. Interested readers are encouraged to follow Purdue Agricultural Economics on the web or via social media, as well as the various centers in the department that present their findings via newsletters, social media, the web, podcasts and, of course, published reports throughout the year.

The editors would like to thank our contributors for their hard work in making this issue possible, and we hope the information continues to be useful and thought-provoking for PAER readers. We also encourage readers to stay up to date on the many centers within Purdue’s Agricultural Economics Department.

The Outlook 2026 issue captures a comprehensive snapshot of the department’s efforts to support stakeholders through research and education, advancing the land-grant mission of Purdue Agricultural Economics. We hope this publication provides valuable insights for the year ahead.

Roman Keeney, Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics and Co-editor of Purdue Agricultural Economics Report