July 2026
Agriculture, Environment & Resources Policy Network (AER PolNet) Workshop
FOOD PRICE INFLATION AND COST CHALLENGES IN THE US FOOD SYSTEM: INSIGHTS FOR AUSTRALIA
October 2026
2026 International Conference on Agricultural Sciences (ICAS 2026)
November 2026
FOOD PRICE INFLATION AND COST CHALLENGES IN THE US FOOD SYSTEM: INSIGHTS FOR AUSTRALIA

Date
16 July 2026Time
12:30pm
Venue
Level 24, 123 Pitt St, Sydney Meeting Room 708 (20)
Speakers
Dr. Ricky VolpeRicky Volpe received his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Davis in 2010. He then spent four years working as an economist at the USDA Economic Research Service in Washington DC where he conducted research on food price formation and market structure. Now at Cal Poly, Ricky teaches courses on food retail and supply chain management, transportation and logistics, and data analysis. He also maintains an active research agenda using a variety of large data sets to study issues related to market structure, firm performance, food prices, consumers’ food choices, and health outcomes. His research has been published in the top agricultural and applied journals, including American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Annual Review of Resource Economics, Nature Communications, and American Journal of Public Health. He also works closely with industry leaders in food retailing, wholesaling, and distribution to facilitate collaboration on public-private partnerships, student internships, and scholarships. He is visiting Australia to attend the annual meeting of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Perth, and is also giving seminars to AARES Branches in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney on issues affecting the global food system.
To see the full detail for our event, download the flyer, by clicking on the black button below on the left. This seminar is also available remotely via Zoom - see at registration link.
Description
FOOD PRICE INFLATION AND COST CHALLENGES IN THE US FOOD SYSTEM: INSIGHTS FOR AUSTRALIA
Food price inflation in the U.S. and the world reached highs not seen since the 1970s in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19. This seminar discusses the factors behind retail food price formation and inflation, focusing on structural concerns including labor, energy, and transportation, while also covering acute and timely factors that will resonate with an Australian audience. such as global conflicts, drought, regulatory challenges, and input cost pressures. With respect to labor, the presentation will cover some long-term trends in US agribusiness, including rising turnover, a rapidly aging workforce, and higher levels of education.

