Jeffrey D. Michler

The primary focus of my research is the application of contract theory and models of industrial organization to problems of agricultural risk management and rural development. My existing research focuses on how agricultural households manage risk to achieve their goals of sustainable development and food security. Complementing and expanding upon this, my recent research investigates the use of contracts in agriculture and estimates the impact of new technology on household welfare and health outcomes. These topics combine to reveal policy relevant insights about agricultural management practices in an uncertain environment. Along with Dr. Josephson, he co-directs the Applied International Development Economics (AIDE) Lab.

For more visit: jeffmichler.com.

Book

Josephson, A. and J.D. Michler. 2024. Research Ethics in Applied Economics: A Practical Guide. New York: Routledge.

Journal Publications (since 2021)

Josephson, A., J.D. Michler, T. Kilic, and S. Murray. Accepted.  The Mismeasure of Weather: Using Remotely Sensed Weather Data in Economic Contexts. Journal of Development Economics 158.

Furbush, A., A. Josephson, T. Kilic, and J.D. Michler. 2025. Coping or Hoping? Livelihood Diversification and Food Insecurity in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Food Policy 131: 102819.

Athnos, A., A. Josephson, J.D. Michler, and L. Rudin-Rush. 2025. Expanding Undergraduate Research Experience: Opportunities, Challenges, and Lessons for the Future. Applied Economics Teaching Resources 7 (2): 369516.

Michler, J.D., A. Josephson, T. Kilic, and S. Murray. 2022. Privacy Protection, Measurement Error, and the Integration of Remote Sensing and Socioeconomic Survey Data. Journal of Development Economics 158: 102927.

Rudin-Rush, L., J.D. Michler, A. Josephson, and J.R. Bloem. 2022. Food Insecurity During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Four African Countries. Food Policy 111: 102306.

Michler, J.D., F. Viens, and G. Shively. 2022. Risk, Crop Yields, and  Weather Index Insurance in Village India. Journal of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association 1 (1): 61-81.

Josephson, A., T. Kilic, and J.D. Michler. 2021. Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 in Low-Income Countries. Nature Human Behaviour 5: 557-65.

Arouna, A., J.D. Michler, and J.C. Lokossou. 2021. Contract Farming and Rural Transformation: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Benin. Journal of Development Economics 151: 102626.

Arouna, A., J.D. Michler, W.G. Yergo, and K. Saito. 2021. One Size Fits All? Experimental Evidence on the Digital Delivery of Personalized Extension Advice in Nigeria. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 103 (2): 596-619.

Awards & Honors

2025 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA), Best Master's Thesis Award (advisor, awarded to Chandrakant Agme)
2023 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association International Section Best Publication Award - Honorable Mention
2022 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, Quality of Research Discovery Award
2022 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, Best Master's Thesis Award (advisor, awarded to Emil Kee-Tui)
2021 Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Africa Section Best Publication Award
2019 Outstanding American Journal of Agricultural Economics Article Award
2015 Best Dissertation Award, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University