Agricultural & Applied Economics Association

What Agricultural & Applied Economics Association does

The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is a not-for-profit professional association founded in 1910 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that serves economists working in agriculture, food, natural resources, rural development, and applied economics. Its members are predominantly drawn from academic institutions, government agencies (USDA, ERS, NIFA), agribusiness and finance firms, and graduate programs, engaging in teaching, research, and extension/outreach activities.

AAEA's core offerings center on a publication portfolio of five peer-reviewed journals — the American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE), Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy (AEPP), Journal of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (JAAEA), Applied Economics Education & Extension (AEEE), and Choices Magazine — complemented by The Exchange newsletter. It runs an Annual Meeting (Kansas City, July 26-28, 2026), Professional Workshops, Symposia, AAEA-at-ASSA sessions, and an Employment Services/job board, alongside Mentorship programs, member Sections, and the AAEA Trust as its fundraising arm. There is no proprietary technology platform; AAEA does not offer software, an app, or APIs.

The business model rests on recurring annual revenue from membership dues, journal subscriptions, and annual meeting/workshop registration fees, supplemented by donations through the AAEA Trust and advocacy support via its COSSA membership. Pricing is tiered by member status — Graduate Student Member Advanced $140 (or $50 for first-time attendees), Senior Member $450, Professional Member $560, Professional Non-member $720 — with on-site premiums adding $75 per tier. AAEA is governed by an Executive Board led by President Brian Roe and run day-to-day by Executive Director Jeanne Rhodes with a staff of fewer than ten.

Name

Agricultural & Applied Economics Association

Legal name

Agricultural & Applied Economics Association

Website

https://aaea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AAEA is a 1910-founded, Milwaukee-based non-profit professional association that serves agricultural and applied economists in academia, government, and industry through five peer-reviewed journals, an annual meeting, workshops, employment services, and mentorship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AAEA generates revenue through annual membership dues from professionals in agricultural and applied economics across academic, government, industry, and non-profit sectors.
2. Publications: Revenue from publishing journals including American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE), Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy (AEPP), Journal of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (JAAEA), Applied Economics Education & Extension (AEEE), and Choices Magazine.
3. Annual Meeting Registration: Revenue from hosting annual meetings where professionals present research, network, and learn about latest trends.
4. Professional Workshops: Revenue from professional development workshops including mentoring workshops, leadership development, and specialized training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AAEA is a not-for-profit professional association that supports economists working in agriculture, food, natural resources, and applied economics. It provides individual professional memberships, peer-reviewed journals (AJAE, AEPP, JAAEA, AEEE, Choices Magazine), an annual meeting, professional workshops, symposia, employment/job matching services, and mentorship programs.

Product overview

The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) operates as a professional membership organization offering a portfolio of scholarly publications and professional development services. Its core offerings include six peer-reviewed publications: the American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE), Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy (AEPP), Journal of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (JAAEA), Applied Economics Education & Extension (AEEE), Choices Magazine, and The Exchange newsletter. These publications are complemented by professional events including the AAEA Annual Meeting (held annually in late July), Professional Workshops, and Symposia programs. The association also provides career services through Employment Services and the AAEA Job Board, mentorship programs for members at various career stages, and operates the AAEA Trust as its non-profit fundraising arm. Members benefit from a Membership Directory and can join specialized Sections based on their professional interests. The association does not offer a technology product or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE) Premier peer-reviewed journal providing a forum for creative and scholarly work on the economics of agriculture and food, natural resources and the environment, and rural and community development throughout the world. Targeted at academic researchers, faculty, policy analysts, and graduate students in agricultural and applied economics.
• Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy (AEPP) Peer-reviewed journal featuring free interview podcasts with each published issue, keeping readers in touch with the latest research on computer or on the go. Targeted at applied economists in academia, government, and industry.
• Journal of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (JAAEA) Journal publication of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association covering applied economics research. Targeted at agricultural and applied economists.
• Applied Economics Education & Extension (AEEE) Journal focused on applied economics education and extension teaching resources for educators and practitioners. Targeted at educators and extension specialists in applied economics.
• Choices Magazine Magazine providing authoritative, nontechnical analyses, overviews, and reviews of emerging and highly relevant topics for stakeholders, educators, policymakers, and the general public.
• The Exchange AAEA's newsletter publication keeping members informed about association news, president's messages, and industry updates. Targeted at AAEA members.
• AAEA Annual Meeting Annual professional conference held in late July/early August where professionals and students present research, learn about latest trends, and network. The 2026 meeting takes place July 26-28 in Kansas City, MO.
• AAEA Professional Workshops Stand-alone professional workshops focusing on specific themes within agricultural and applied economics with varying lengths and expected attendance ranging from 50 to 150 participants. Targeted at members and professionals seeking professional development.
• AAEA Symposia Stand-alone symposia sponsored by the association covering emerging or high-impact topics in the field. Targeted at members and stakeholders in agricultural and applied economics.
• AAEA Employment Services Employment matching service connecting employers and job applicants both electronically and in person during annual meetings, including job board postings and on-site recruitment.
• AAEA Mentorship Programs Mentoring programs designed to support members at various career stages, including early career professionals and mid-career scholars. Targeted at AAEA members at various career stages.
• AgEcon Search Repository providing full versions of selected papers presented at AAEA Annual Meetings, hosted externally at the University of Minnesota. Targeted at researchers and students in agricultural economics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Five peer-reviewed journals covering agricultural economics, applied economics, and extension education
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA)minorOthersAAEA is a member organization of COSSA, a nonprofit advocacy organization promoting social and behavioral sciences in federal policymaking. COSSA serves as a united voice for organizations in the research enterprise. AAEA members receive COSSA Washington Updates and member-only emails through subscription.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Economic Association: The premier US professional association for economists, publishing the American Economic Review and other flagship journals and hosting the annual ASSA meetings. AAEA is a more specialized sibling within the economics association ecosystem, sharing the same member-driven journal publishing and annual meeting model but focused specifically on agricultural and applied economics.
• Western Agricultural Economics Association: Another US regional agricultural economics association serving western states. Shares AAEA's mission and conference/journal structure (including the Western Economics Forum) but with a narrower geographic focus on western US agricultural and resource economics issues.
• Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association: A US regional peer serving agricultural and resource economists in the northeastern states. Operates an annual meeting and peer-reviewed journal, closely paralleling AAEA's structure at a smaller regional scale with overlapping member profiles.
• International Association of Agricultural Economists: The global counterpart to AAEA for agricultural economists worldwide. Operates with a similar membership, journal, and conference model — holding a triennial world congress — and serving an overlapping scholarly community in agricultural economics at a global scale.
• Southern Agricultural Economics Association: A US regional peer association focused on agricultural economics in the southern United States. Operates the same professional association model — annual meeting, peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the Southern Agricultural Economics Association), and member-driven governance — at a regional scale with overlapping membership.

Others

• International Food Policy Research Institute: A major international research institute focused on food policy and agricultural economics. Not a membership association, but operates in the same scholarly field as AAEA members and frequently collaborates with the academic agricultural economics community through research publications and policy engagement.
• Farm Foundation: An agricultural policy and economics-focused nonprofit that complements AAEA's academic mission. While not a membership association, Farm Foundation facilitates dialogue between agricultural economists, policymakers, and industry stakeholders in areas overlapping with AAEA's policy-focused work, especially through AEPP and government economist engagement.

Regional players

• Agricultural Economics Society: The UK-based professional association for agricultural economists, publishing the Journal of Agricultural Economics and holding annual conferences. Operates in a different geography than AAEA but serves a substantially overlapping scholarly community with shared topical focus.
• Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society: The Australian professional association for agricultural and resource economists, publishing the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics and holding annual conferences. Shares AAEA's association model but serves Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
• European Association of Agricultural Economists: The European regional counterpart to AAEA, serving agricultural economists across Europe. Operates a similar association model including the European Review of Agricultural Economics journal and triennial congress, but does not directly compete with AAEA's US-based membership and annual meetings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AAEA_Economics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AAEAonYT
• Facebookfacebook.com/AAEAonFB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3609804

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Agricultural & Applied Economics Association