College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Over the past year, the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics (AFRE) at Michigan State University has consistently been ranked as one of the top five agricultural and applied economics departments. AFRE was ranked as a leading department with real-world impacts by three separate ranking sources: the Center for World University Rankings, Research Papers in Economics, and the National Research Council.

“Our department’s top placements are a reflection on the excellent people in AFRE and the outstanding research, teaching and extension work they do,” said Titus Awokuse, department chairperson. “Given the current portfolio of innovative scholarly activities and the improvements to our academic programs, I’m very confident that we will continue to expand the scope of our professional and societal impact for years to come.”   

AFRE is home to some of the world’s premiere agricultural economists including four current Fellows of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), the Past President of the AAEA, as well as many award winning faculty members, who engage in impactful research and practical extension and capacity building work in Michigan, the U.S., and around the world.

The department houses more than 70 faculty members and 70 graduate students, working in a wide variety of fields including Development Economics, Environmental and Resource Economics, Food and Agribusiness Management, Food and Agricultural Markets, and Regional Development and Policy. More than 700 undergraduate students are in AFRE’s three majors, Agribusiness Management, Environmental Economics and Management, and Food Industry Management, with placement rates well above both the national standard and the university’s average rate.

“Beyond making a difference through high level and relevant research and extension work, AFRE also provides our students with an excellent educational experience that allows them to obtain job skills for successful careers and life skills needed to become engaged civic leaders in the global community,” said Awokuse.

Learn more about our faculty’s research, our undergraduates’ internships, and our alumni’s collective impact on the world, and get updates about the department by following MSUAFRE on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.