We conduct society-relevant, applied research on economic issues related to agriculture, the environment and natural resources. Whether focusing on water quality or agricultural policy or investigating the impact of biotechnology or the supply and demand of agricultural commodities, we address questions and deliver solutions for real-world problems.
Multi-disciplinary in scope, we partner with food scientists on food safety, horticultural scientists on marketing crops and biological and agricultural engineers on waste management, just to name a few. And students play a prominent role in our globally-ranked scholarship, driven by well-respected and well-published faculty and sustained by state and federal grants.
Heidi Schweizer studies agricultural commodity markets with an emphasis on transportation. The process of getting agricultural goods to the final consumer usually involves many modes of transport (trucks, trains, and boats) before it reaches the final consumer. The transportation system is a critical link between agricultural producers and global markets.