The value and broader impacts of agricultural and environmental scientific meetings

Authors: DAIGH, AARON LEE - University Of Nebraska; DAROUB, SAMIRA - University Of Florida; KYVERYGA, PETER - Iowa State University; SORRELLS, MARK - Cornell University; IPPOLITO, JAMES - The Ohio State University; Grusak, Michael; Laboski, Carrie; MURRAY, SETH - Texas A&M University; Garland Campbell, Kimberly; WHALEN, JOANN - McGill University - Canada; Veum, Kristen; KAILER, ENDY - Kansas State University; Osborne, Shannon; FRITSCHI, FELIX - University Of Missouri; THOMASON, WADE - Oklahoma State University; TURCO, RONALD - Purdue University

Submitted to: Agricultural & Environmental Letters
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/21/2025
Publication Date: 5/22/2025
Citation: Daigh, A.L.M., Daroub, S.H., Kyveryga, P.M., Sorrells, M.E., Ippolito, J.A., Kailer, E., Osborne, S.L., Fritschi, F.B., Thomason, W.E., Turco, R.F., Grusak, M.A., Laboski, C.A., Murray, S.C., Garland Campbell, K.A., Whalen, J.K., Veum, K.S. 2025, et al. The value and broader impacts of agricultural and environmental scientific meetings. Agricultural & Environmental Letters. 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.70018.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.70018

Interpretive Summary: The socioeconomic benefit of content presented at the American Society of Agronomy-Crop Science Society of America-Soil Science Society of America (ASA-CSSA-SSSA) annual professional meetings from 2014 to 2023 is estimated at >$64 billion US dollars. Scientific meetings are instrumental for driving the quality and advancement of research via fostering timely feedback, transferring knowledge, gaining new perspectives, providing opportunities for networking, establishing new collaborations, preparing scientists for public engagement, and addressing contemporary challenges of cultural inclusivity. Additionally, the broader impacts include near-term benefits to agricultural and environmental scientists that can help develop careers and perspectives on the world, especially for students and early career members. The benefits from these impacts on scientists are then anticipated to spread into broader and longer-term positive impacts on humanity worldwide. In this commentary, we provide the reader with economic estimates, as well as a list of broader impacts to guide new communication initiatives and stimulate both philosophical and technological innovations for quantifying the value of scientific meetings.

Technical Abstract: The socioeconomic value of content presented at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA annual meetings from 2014 to 2023 is estimated at >$64 billion USD. Scientific meetings are instrumental for propelling the quality and advancement of research via fostering timely feedback, knowledge dissemination, fresh perspectives, stimulation for networking and new collaborations, preparing scientists for public engagement, and addressing contemporary challenges of cultural inclusivity. Additionally, the broader impacts include near-term benefits to agricultural and environmental scientists that can transform careers and perspectives on the world, especially for students and early career members. The benefits from these impacts on scientists are then anticipated to propagate into broader and longer-term positive impacts on humanity worldwide. In this commentary, we provide the scientific community with economic estimates, as well as a working list of broader impacts to guide new communication initiatives and stimulate both philosophical and technological innovations for quantifying the value of scientific meetings.