Jonathan McFadden

Research Economist
jonathan.mcfadden@usda.gov

Briefly

Jonathan is a research economist in the Structure, Technology, and Productivity Branch of the Resource and Rural Economics Division at the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). He is an applied microeconomist, working in the areas of environmental economics and industrial organization as they relate to agriculture. At ERS, his research mainly focuses on the development, commercialization, and adoption of technologies and management practices that increase the productivity and environmental performance of U.S. agriculture. Topical interests include digital agriculture, climate change, genetic engineering, and emerging technologies and production practices—in both the United States and other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

Background

Jonathan was an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Oklahoma during 2019–2022. He was instrumental in developing undergraduate and graduate certificates in both applied statistics and data analytics for the university’s College of Arts and Sciences. His teaching interests were microeconomics, environmental economics, and applied econometrics. Prior to his university appointment, Jonathan was a research economist at ERS (2015–2019).

Education

Ph.D., economics, Iowa State University, 2015
B.A., mathematics, University of Oklahoma, 2008
B.A., economics, University of Oklahoma, 2008

Selected Publications

McFadden, J. (2022). International Trade and Standards Harmonization: The Case of Tractors and the OECD Tractor Codes. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 104(4), 1512–1539.

McFadden, J., D. Smith, and S. Wallander. (2022). Weather, Climate, and Technology Adoption: An Application to Drought-Tolerant Corn in the United States, Working Paper Number 30121, National Bureau of Economic Research.

McFadden, J., F. Casalini, T. Griffin, and J. Anton. (2022). The Digitalisation of Agriculture: A Literature Review and Emerging Policy Issues, OECD Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries Papers Number 176, OECD Publishing: Paris, France.

McFadden, J., F. Casalini, and J. Anton. (2022). Policies to Bolster Trust in Agricultural Digitalisation: Issues Note, OECD Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries Papers Number 175, OECD Publishing: Paris, France.

McFadden, J., A. Rosburg, and E. Njuki. (2022). Information Inputs and Technical Efficiency in Midwest Corn Production: Evidence from Farmers’ Use of Yield and Soil Maps. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 104(2), 589–612.

Errickson, F., K. Kuruc, and J. McFadden. (2021). Animal-Based Foods Have High Social and Climate Costs. Nature Food, 2(4), 274–281.

McFadden, J., and W. Huffman. (2017). Willingness-to-Pay for Natural, Organic, and Conventional Foods: The Effects of Information and Meaningful Labels. Food Policy, 68, 214–232.

Precision Agriculture in the Digital Era: Recent Adoption on U.S. Farms Development, Adoption, and Management of Drought-Tolerant Corn in the United States Tillage Intensity and Conservation Cropping in the United States The Evolving Distribution of Payments From Commodity, Conservation, and Federal Crop Insurance Programs

Most Row Crop Acreage Managed Using Auto-steer and Guidance Systems Adoption of Genetically Engineered Dicamba-Tolerant Cotton Seeds is Prevalent Throughout the United States The Use of Genetically Engineered Dicamba-Tolerant Soybean Seeds Has Increased Quickly, Benefiting Adopters but Damaging Crops in Some Fields Drought-Tolerant Corn in the United States: Research, Commercialization, and Related Crop Production Practices Although Small, Markets Have Been Expanding for GE Crops With Traits That Increase Nutrient Content or Improve Taste