Homeland Security Economics Program
including USDA National Needs Fellowship Interest Area"Biosecurity in the Agribusiness and Food Supply Chain"
Opportunities for Students
Instructional Program
Related University Programs
Faculty and Research Programs
Opportunities for Students
We are currently seeking MS and PhD applicants for four USDA National Needs Fellowships in Biosecurity in the Agribusiness and Food Supply Chain beginning in 2007 or 2008. Applicants must by US citizens or resident aliens. Funding is available from a variety of sources to support students in the study of food safety, homeland security and biosecurity issues.
Instructional Programs
Issues involved with homeland security economics tools for the analysis of issues are widely taught across the agricultural economics department offerings particularly in agribusiness, markets and information and resources offerings along with the quantitative courses. There is one targeted course being taught that is titled Homeland Security - Economic issues and implications for Policy Design. Content of that class can be reviewed here.
Broader programs are also offered in the University through the Integrative Center for Homeland Security now in the form of several opportunities as discussed here. The Department of Homeland Security funded Center of Excellence in Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease (FAZD) Defense also has an education component as does the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences and the Department of Nutrition and Food Science.
Related University Programs
Texas A&M University strives to be a preeminent institution in homeland security studies and supports a wide spectrum of centers and programs.
Faculty and Research Programs
Animal Disease Economics
Traceability, Assurance, and Food Safety
International Trade and Biosecurity
General Homeland and Bio Security
Faculty work on a wide range of issues related to animal disease economics mainly in the context of the Department of Homeland Security funded Center of Excellence in Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease (FAZD) Defense. An overview of recent papers and presentations on economics in this area can be found on the FAZD Economics webpage, while economics-related seminars are listed here.
Areas of study include animal disease defense including work on demand/market effects of outbreaks, policy and disease/terrorism related strategy formation, damage and vulnerability analysis, carcass disposal, and approaches to non-cooperative behavior. Involved faculty include:
Event induced demand shifts, policy - David Bessler
Legal and institutional economics issues - Frederick Boadu
Cost Benefit analysis, vulnerability, policy - Levan Elbakidze
Cooperation, incentives, carcass disposal, policy - Yanhong Jin
Cost benefit, vulnerability - Bruce A. McCarl
Traceability, Assurance and Food Safety
Food Safety is a major focus of study at Texas A&M through the department of Department of Nutrition and Food Science. A number of agricultural economics faculty study economic issues associated with traceability, assurance, and food safety including
Economics of food quality and safety - Rodolfo M. Nayga
Food product recalls, event studies - Victoria Salin
Regulation and food market oversight - Eluned Jones
Food policy, demand and irradiation - John P. Nichols
International Trade and Biosecurity
International trade is the subject of considerable effort in the Department through among other places through the Center for North American Studies and the Texas Agribusiness Market Research Center. A number of agricultural economics faculty study food safety and biosecurity issues including
Animal identification and country labeling - David Anderson
Trade and marketing - C. Parr Rosson
Regulation and food market oversight - Eluned Jones
Homeland Security
Faculty research treats Homeland Security related decision making broadly, looking at issues involved with the economics of policy design investment-prevention versus response options among many aspects of the issue. Involved faculty include
Bruce A. McCarl
Yanhong Jin
Levan Elbakidze