Michigan State University

Collection Development Policy Statement: Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics

Analysis of the Subject Field

Chronology of the subject: emphasis/restrictions
The emphasis is on current research in agricultural economics, but materials on the history of agricultural economics and works of major agricultural economists are also collected.

Languages of resources collected: exclusions/emphases/translations
English is the primary language in the collection. Other languages are collected when an English translation is unavailable. The African languages are represented in small part due to AFRE's African-oriented outreach projects and programs.

Geography of the subject: emphases/restrictions
The bulk of the collection covers the USA and select African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Mali, Senegal, Malawi, Burma, Zambia and Kenya. Other countries are collected to some extent, primarily in the areas of sustainable agriculture, food insecurity and niche farming.

Format of the resources collected: restrictions if any

Internet-accessible format is the preferred format for new periodicals, with extreme caution paid to the quality of graphics in periodicals digitized after paper publication. Monographs are predominantly in ebook format.

Duplicate formats may be purchased when requested

Research data - particularly data which is not already openly available or that cannot/will not be placed in existing research data repositories is not normally collected but may be collected if it otherwise meets collection development guidelines for research data. For additional about the guidelines, please see MSU's Digital Research Data Collection Development Policy.

Date of publication of resources collected: emphases if any

Current materials are acquired with the exception of works when required for replacement purposes, or requested by faculty, staff or graduate students for educational use.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion 
Economic studies of the agricultural and natural disciplines at MSU has a regional, national, and an especially strong international focus, and the collection should reflect that reality. The MSU Libraries seeks out underrepresented and marginalized voices, identities, and perspectives to diversify and fill gaps in our collections, and participate in dismantling racism, sexism, and other biases in authorship and content.