WAEA is a non-profit corporation. Members of WAEA are primarily from western United States and Canada, but anyone with an interest in agricultural and resource economics is welcome to join. It has over 600 members who are professional economists working in academic institutions, government agencies and departments, private industry and agribusiness, and non-governmental organizations.

The primary goals of WAEA are:

to foster the study and understanding of agricultural economics and its application to problems in the western United States and Canada; to promote unity and effectiveness of effort among all concerned with those problems; to promote improvement in the professional competence and standards of all members; to cooperate with other organizations and institutions engaged in similar or related activities; and to increase the contribution of agricultural economics to human welfare.

WAEA is governed by the State Wisconsin laws for incorporated organizations, the WAEA Articles of Incorporation, WAEA Bylaws and the WAEA Operating Policies.