An economist of food and farming, you study how agricultural markets, policy, and resources actually work — and teach it to university students while running your own research. Data, fieldwork, and the economics of how we eat.
Research projects anchor much of the role — designing studies, analyzing data, and publishing — alongside teaching and advising. The work spans the desk and the field, moving between models and the realities growers face. Grant funding shapes what you can pursue, and lectures and graduate mentoring fill the rest.
The friction few expect is publish-or-perish pressure on top of teaching and service. Funding cycles can be unpredictable, the job market is tight, and policy-relevant work invites political crosswinds. How the role tilts — more research or more teaching — varies sharply by institution and department.
Strong ag economists in academia tend to be analytical, curious about food systems, patient with slow results. If you need fast, tidy outcomes, the academic pace can frustrate. But if you like applying economics to something as concrete as farming — and teaching it — the work tends to satisfy.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
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