John Bovay, PhD

Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics (Affiliate)

Research Overview

My research applies economic analysis to food and agricultural policy issues with a view toward consumer welfare and improved health outcomes. In particular, much of my research has been on the economic effects of food-safety regulations, including effects on consumer demand (food choice) and prices.

Ongoing projects include evaluating the effectiveness of FDA’s food import inspection program; analyzing the effects on consumers and producers of the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule; testing whether wholesale buyers increased demand in response to the collective adoption of food-safety standards among fresh-produce growers; and demonstrating the effect of mandatory disclosure of plant-level food-safety test results on food-safety outcomes in chicken. I am developing new projects that include analyzing the price determination of wine (which has important health implications) and of eggs (an important source of protein for low-income populations). Past projects have included characterizing incentives to supply the National School Lunch Program with safe ground beef and chicken and analyzing patterns in FDA food import refusals.

Education

Ph.D., University of California – Davis, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2014
B.A., Washington and Lee University, Mathematics and Politics, 2007