Former USDA chief economist recognized for decades of leadership in agricultural policy and science communication
Dr. Joseph W. Glauber has been named the recipient of the 2026 CAST Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the leading honors recognizing long-term contributions to agricultural science, communication, and leadership.
The award is presented by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) to individuals whose careers have made a lasting impact on agriculture, food systems and the environment. Glauber was selected because of his decades of service in agricultural economics, policy development, trade negotiations, and public communication.
Glauber's career in agriculture spans more than 40 years. He began working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1984 as part of the Economic Research Service. Early in his career, he focused on research related to food reserves, commodity prices, and crop insurance programs. These areas remain important to farmers and policymakers today because they influence farm profitability and risk management.
Over the years, Glauber held several key leadership positions within the USDA. He served as deputy chief economist and later became chief economist, guiding the department through major economic challenges. During this time, he helped oversee agricultural forecasts and provided economic analysis that supported important policy decisions.
He also chaired the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors and worked on issues affecting farmers across the United States.
"For more than four decades, Joe Glauber has shown what it looks like to put credible science at the center of the decisions that shape agriculture," said Chris Boomsma, CAST CEO. "Whether he was advising a secretary of agriculture, negotiating trade rules or explaining a crisis as it unfolded, he gave policymakers, farmers and the public the evidence they needed, in language they could use. That is exactly the kind of career the CAST Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize."
His expertise extended beyond domestic agriculture. Glauber served as an adviser during international trade negotiations that helped shape global agricultural markets. He later became the chief U.S. agricultural negotiator during the World Trade Organization's Doha Round discussions.
His work helped strengthen understanding of how trade policies influence food production, market stability and agricultural competitiveness.
"Joe Glauber not only understands agricultural markets better than most of us, but also has an incredible talent for helping to understand them and to explain how policies and external events are affecting them," said Dr. Johan Swinnen, director general of IFPRI, who nominated Dr. Glauber for the award.
He added, "His outstanding analysis and clear communication has helped inform US agricultural policies and global deliberations on agrifood topics alike. Recently he has become THE source to go to for the latest insights on how global food and ag input markets are affected by all the shocks affecting the world today."
Another significant achievement in his career was helping create the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS). The initiative was developed following global food price spikes to improve transparency in agricultural markets and encourage better policy coordination among countries. AMIS continues to be an important tool for monitoring global agricultural supply and demand conditions. Glauber later served as chair of the organization and remained involved in its leadership for many years.
Since joining the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in 2014, Glauber has continued to contribute to agricultural research and public understanding.
His work has focused on major global events that affect food security, including the COVID-19 pandemic, international conflicts, trade policy changes, and disruptions to global shipping routes. Through research and communication, he has helped explain how these challenges affect food systems, agricultural markets, and consumers around the world.
Glauber is also widely recognized for his ability to make complex agricultural issues easier to understand. Industry leaders have praised his commitment to science-based decision-making and his talent for clearly explaining economic trends and policy developments. His research and commentary have become trusted sources of information for policymakers, researchers, journalists, and agricultural stakeholders.
Throughout his career, he has authored more than 200 publications and has received widespread media attention for his insights on agricultural economics and food systems. His analyses have helped improve understanding of both short-term market disruptions and long-term challenges facing global agriculture.
In addition to his work with IFPRI, Glauber serves as a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and as a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has received numerous honors during his career, including awards recognizing excellence in agricultural communication and contributions to the field of agricultural economics.
Despite his many accomplishments, Glauber has remained focused on helping others understand important agricultural issues rather than seeking personal recognition. He has often emphasized the importance of providing reliable information that supports informed decisions by farmers, government leaders, and the public.
"I always keep telling myself that we're not in the business of being the headline," said Dr. Glauber. "We really want to be behind the headline, trying to help people understand an issue. To be [recognized] with a lifetime achievement award by peers is very, very humbling."
The 2026 CAST Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes not only Glauber's professional achievements but also his lasting influence on agricultural science, policy and education. His work has helped improve understanding of global food systems, strengthened agricultural decision-making, and supported efforts to address food security challenges around the world.
Photo Credit: Council for Agricultural Science and Technology