The University of Wisconsin-River Falls will host the 14th annual Rod Nilsestuen Legacy Event October 14 from 2-3 p.m. in the Kinnickinnic River Theater in the University Center, 501 Wild Rose Ave., River Falls. The event is free and open to the public, with a livestream available.
This year’s featured speaker is Wyatt Thompson, professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia, with a presentation titled, “Can the Midwest Compete? Agriculture, Trade Wars, and Global Markets.”
Thompon’s talk will explore how global trade tensions, tariffs and shifting conditions affect the trade and markets of key Midwest agricultural commodities, including grain and livestock. Rather than diving into statistics or policy jargon, he’ll look at the bigger picture—how world events ripple through markets and shape opportunities for U.S. agriculture over time. The discussion will connect global headlines to what they mean for farmers, agribusinesses and rural communities across the Midwest.
About Thompson
Thompson is an expert in agricultural markets, biofuel policy and international trade. Since joining the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri in 2006, he has contributed extensively to research and policy analysis in biofuels, agricultural trade and global market competitiveness. He previously worked at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, and at Japan’s Policy Research Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. Thompson also spent a sabbatical year at the Office of the Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Thompson earned his B.S. and M.S. in economics from Washington University in St. Louis and his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri. His research has examined topics ranging from biofuel markets to trade policy impacts on land use and climate-related risks to agricultural supply chains.
The Nilsestuen Legacy Event honors Rod Nilsestuen, a UW-River Falls alum and former Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, who died in 2010.
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