Agricultural Economics Fellow and Agricultural Economics Trade Fellow Programs

Farm Foundation is pleased to offer the opportunity for outstanding early-to-mid career agricultural economists to join our team for one year.

Farm Foundation Announces 2024 Agricultural Economics Trade and Sustainability Fellow

Sandro 2022

Dr. Sandro Steinbach
2024 Agricultural Economics Trade and Sustainability Fellow

Dr. Sandro Steinbach, an associate professor of agribusiness and applied economics at North Dakota State University, has been named as Farm Foundation’s 2024 Agricultural Economics Trade and Sustainability Fellow.

Dr. Steinbach’s teaching and research fields are predominately in international trade and agricultural policy. His most recent work is focused on the implications of market and policy shocks on global supply chains and investment activities. He studies the interplay between market structures, firm conduct, and economic welfare at different spatial and institutional scales. His research uses applied economics and data science methods to answer research questions relevant to agribusinesses, international trade and policy, human and animal health, and the environment. His work has appeared in Applied Economic Perspectives & PolicyEconomics Letters, the NBER Working Paper Series, and Nature Communications.

He is also the director of the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies and a faculty scholar of the Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth. Dr. Steinbach is a visiting scholar and consultant at the United States Department of Agriculture.

A citizen of Germany, Dr. Steinbach earned his BS degrees from the Humboldt University of Berlin and his MS degrees from the Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of California, Davis. In 2018, he completed his doctoral studies in Economics with the Center for Economic Research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.

Frequently Asked Questions

Selection Process
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Nominations will be accepted through October 20, 2023. Nominations from faculty or other professional references, as well as self-nominations, will be accepted.

By mid-November 2023, Farm Foundation will narrow the applicant pool to 2-3 final candidates.

Finalists will be asked to interview with Farm Foundation and other experts, with a final determination on the successful applicant to be made in mid-December 2023.

About the Agricultural Economics Fellowship
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The Agricultural Economics Fellow program is designed to nurture a promising leader in the field, and provides a post-Ph.D. agricultural economist with a unique yearlong opportunity to be mentored and mentor, provide thought leadership through publications and speaking appearances, expand their network, manage high-visibility projects and elevate their stature and reputation in the food and agricultural sectors.

This Fellow will work with diverse stakeholders on integrated systems approaches to understanding and overcoming the challenges in developing a greater understanding of how trade and sustainability are interconnected and are impacting the food and agricultural sectors in the United States and beyond.

The Agricultural Economics Fellow may focus work on communicating to increase understanding on the economics and gaps in understanding that exist, particularly in connecting regulatory, legal, and institutional frameworks between agricultural trade and sustainable development.  Research areas may include but are not limited to current issues and economic policy on global sustainability and agricultural trade, the implications of disruptions in agricultural trade flows, the role of agricultural trade in reducing GHG emissions globally, trade and sustainability implications of adoption of new technologies, current trade policy issues such as deforestation-free supply chains, and the future of agricultural trade and sustainability goals more broadly.

Expectations and Opportunities for the Agricultural Economics Fellow
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  • Participate and engage in Farm Foundation programs or events (e.g., attend or participate in relevant conferences)
  • Produce several short written pieces, such as blog posts
  • Author at least one issue paper on sustainable food systems
  • Network and be mentored by staff in USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, with at least six meetings anticipated
  • Mentor and meet with participants in the Farm Foundation and USDA Economic Research Service Ag Scholars program on a recurring basis
  • Mentor and meet with other participants in Farm Foundation’s suite of Next Generation programs as time and opportunities allow

Agricultural Economics Fellow Program Alumni

Trey Malone
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Click the button below to learn about our program alumni and their work during their fellowships.

Agricultural Economics Fellow and Agricultural Economics Trade Fellow Alumni