Our history

The early years

In the early 1970s, agricultural economists increasingly recognised the need for stronger international collaboration within Europe, particularly between colleagues on both sides of the Iron Curtain. While most countries already had their own national associations, the main platform for international exchange was the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE), which organised triennial congresses and occasional meetings.

At the 1970 IAAE congress in Minsk (Belarus), a group of European agricultural economists began discussing the idea of establishing a regional European association and launching a dedicated journal. However, it took five years before the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) was officially founded, as the initiators needed to resolve questions regarding membership (whether it should include individuals, associations, or both) and to overcome hesitations about creating an organisation distinct from the IAAE.

First EAAE Congress

The breakthrough came at the first EAAE congress in Uppsala in 1975, where the association was formally established and recognised as a legal entity under Dutch law. The first Constitution allowed membership not only for individuals but also for organisations—though later this was restricted to individual members only.

The Constitution of the EAAE states that 'the object of the Association is: (a) to promote the knowledge and understanding of agricultural economics, in particular in the European context; and (b) to promote the exchange of experiences, ideas, and information among agricultural economists’.

The EAAE pursues this mission by organising congresses, seminars, webinars, PhD workshops, and Reading Circles for its members. In addition, it publishes three scientific journals: the European Review of Agricultural Economics, Q Open, and EuroChoices. Over time, both the range of activities and the number of members have continued to grow.

50th Anniversary

In August 2025, the EAAE celebrated its 50th anniversary at the congress in Bonn. This milestone highlighted how the association’s interests and activities over the past five decades have been shaped by evolving agricultural challenges, policy debates, and advances in scientific methods and technologies. The same applies to the EAAE’s journals.

At the same time, the EAAE has also played an important role in influencing both policy debates and the scientific community. We look forward to continuing this role in the years to come.