David Ortega, Michigan
State University
Ariel Ortiz-Bobea,Cornell University
Richard Volpe, California Polytechnic State University
“Tariffs, War, and Now a Historic Drought Have Converged into a ‘Perfect Storm’ for U.S. Farmers and Food Prices”
By: Yahoo! Finance – April 21, 2026
“What’s unique about the current moment is that you have this perfect storm of factors.”
“It’s unusually dry in various parts of the country. It’s been hitting hard in the Central Plains and in parts of the South, all along the Cotton Belt.”
“What I think we’re going to see is a one-two punch of higher energy prices and higher fertilizer costs.”
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Read more on: Yahoo! Finance
Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University
“High Urea Prices Likely to Linger”
By: Brownfield Ag News Online – April 23, 2026
“Even in the most optimistic scenario, we are still seeing $600 to $700 well through the fall period. Through 2027 we see prices along the $500 to $600 range. It was about $400 to $500 before the crisis.”
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Read more on: Brownfield Ag News Online
Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology
“Can a Participation Deficit Explain India’s Low Per Capita Income?”
By: Basis Point Insight – April 29, 2026
“India presents a striking development paradox: despite sustaining GDP growth of 6-7% annually for three decades, its per capita income remains among the lowest of major economies—approximately $2,400, compared with China’s $12,500. New research argues that conventional explanations—population size, inequality, or sectoral composition—are insufficient.”
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Read more on: Basis Point Insight
Michael Langemeier, Purdue
University
Joana Colussi, Purdue University
“Rising Costs Force Farmers to Rebuild Budgets in Real Time”
By: RFD TV – April 24, 2026
“While overall inflation has cooled from highs seen in recent years, the same can’t be said for input costs. Increases in farm input costs do not always align with inflation. Worse, farm cost increases tend to be more unpredictable and impact farmers more quickly than consumer inflation.”
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Read more on: RFD TV
Kenneth Foster, Purdue
University
Bernhard Dalheimer, Purdue University
David Ortega, Michigan State University
“Why the Iran War Might Not Raise Your Grocery Bill Until Next Year”
By: Yahoo! Finance – April 26, 2026
“If the conflict persists and starts to affect the prices that farmers pay for the ‘27 crop, then you start to see real food price effects in ‘27,”
“Where could that shock be seen first? It’s in dairy where the transportation cost share is highest, and we need to cool the dairy all the way through.”
“Higher diesel prices — which were down slightly this week from earlier this month, averaging about $5.40 per gallon — are worth watching for their impacts on food prices.”
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Read more on: Yahoo! Finance
Andrew Van Leuven, University of Vermont
“Vermont’s Love-Hate Relationship With Fast Food”
By: Vermont Public – April 23, 2026
“We may overstate our value for mom and pop, while still being huge, maybe, closeted fans of, you know, McNuggets and Crunchwrap Supremes. I still think people do want these, we could say, we can call them amenities, right, within a reasonable distance.”
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Read more on: Vermont Public
David Ortega, Michigan State University
"Demand Destruction: How the Iran War Could Rattle or Break the US Economy"
By: CNN - April 30, 2026
“It can take the better part of six months, (or) even longer, to feel the full impacts of this shock reflected in food prices."
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Read more on: CNN
Jeffrey Dorfman, North Carolina State University
“Can Farmers Get Tariff Money Back? New Portal Raises Questions”
By: Farm Progress – April 29, 2026
“Farmers will not be applying for refunds, as that will be done by whoever directly paid the tariff to the federal government. It is possible that some companies will issue refunds to customers on a “pass-through basis,” but some are skeptical that this will happen. We also may see implicit refunds to farmers through lower prices on future purchases, as importing firms try to keep good customers happy and loyal.”
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Read more on: Farm Progress
Kenneth Foster, Purdue University
“‘Drop Like a Rock’: Trump Says Gas Prices Will Plummet When Iran War Ends, Despite Current Climate”
By: 14 News – April 30, 2026
“There is typically a 3- to 6-month lag between an energy price shock and an increase in retail food prices. The lag can be up to a year for packaged foods with a longer shelf life.”
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Read more on: 14 News
Peter Orazem, Iowa
State University
Aakansha Jain, Iowa State University
“Iowa State College Graduates Left For Bigger Cities, But They're Returning to Iowa”
By: Axios – April 21, 2026
“The reasons behind the returns aren't clear. One theory is that Iowans are returning to raise families here because of cheaper housing, decent schools and proximity to relatives.”
“Rural areas aren't seeing those returns, potentially reflecting limited job opportunities, especially outside agriculture, and fewer services such as health care and retirement options.”
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Read more on: Axios
Stephen Koontz, Colorado State University
“Grain Markets Challenge Farmers the Rest of 2026”
By: High Plains Journal – May 1, 2026
“The strong exports have been very good—but world supplies of course grains are tight compared to the United States, so if you want corn then you are coming here. The U.S. price has been the lowest in the world. The good news is that we are on the way to export our enormous crop.”
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Read more on: High Plains Journal
Hunter Biram, University of Arkansas
“Ag, Food Economics Are Hard to Simplify”
By: Magnolia Reporter – May 3, 2026
“Consumers who see parallels between crude oil and gas prices might expect the same for food, but what seems like a straightforward relationship between prices at the farm and prices at the grocery store is anything but simple. Making a direct connection between the two “is extremely difficult.”
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Read more on: Magnolia Reporter
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