Patrick W. McLaughlin

Agricultural Economist
patrick.mclaughlin@usda.gov

Briefly

Patrick McLaughlin is an agricultural economist in the Diet, Safety, and Health Branch of the Food Economics Division. He serves as the lead on projects related to the household and retail scanner data that USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) acquires from Circana (formerly Information Resources, Inc. (IRI)). Currently, Patrick is engaged in research projects on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and policies relevant to aspects of the food retail industry.

Background

Patrick joined ERS in August 2015 after completing his Ph.D. at the University of California, Davis. His dissertation focused on the competitive behavior of food retailers that provide the food assistance component of WIC and the implications for the efficient operation of the program, including cost-containment efforts and food access.

Education

Patrick earned a Ph.D. and M.S. in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis, and a B.S. in environmental science and policy from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Professional Affiliations

Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Selected Publications

McLaughlin, P. W., Stevens, A., Arita, S., & Dong, X. (2023). Stocking up and stocking out: Food retail stock-outs, consumer demand, and prices during the COVID-10 pandemic in 2020. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 45(3), 1618–1633.

Li, Xuemei, McLaughlin, P. W., Saitone, T. L., & Sexton, R. J. (2021). The magnitude and determinants of partial redemptions of food benefits in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. American Journal of Health Promotion, 35(6), 775–783.

McLaughlin, P. W., Saitone, T. L., & Sexton, R. J. (2019). The economics of food vendors specialized to serving the Women, Infants, and Children program. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 101(1), 20–38.

Saitone, T. L., & McLaughlin, P. W. (2018). Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program redemptions at California farmers’ markets: Making the program work for farmers and participants. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 33(4), 334–346.

COVID-19 Working Paper: Food-Away-From-Home Acquisition Trends Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic COVID-19 Working Paper: National Trends in Food Retail Sales During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) Retail-Based Scanner Data COVID-19 Working Paper: The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food-Away-From-Home Spending Cost Implications of Participant Product Selection in USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Cost Containment and Participant Access in USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Evidence from the Greater Los Angeles, CA, Area

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Food Spending Shifted in Response to Pandemic; Changes for Food Away From Home Continued Through 2022 Specialized Stores Serving Participants in USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Can Reduce Program Food Costs and Increase Food Store Access USDA-Approved Whole-Wheat Bread Package Size Is Now More Common and Less Costly for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Specialized Stores Serving WIC Customers in California Improve Food Access Without Raising Food Costs Growth in Quick-Service Restaurants Outpaced Full-Service Restaurants in Most U.S. Counties

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