Agricultural Economics Fellow and Agricultural Economics Trade Fellow Programs
Farm Foundation 2025 Agricultural Economics Fellow
Congratulations to Dr. Sunghun Lim!
Dr. Sunghun Lim is an Assistant Professor of International Agribusiness and Director of the LSU Global Value Chains Program in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at Louisiana State University.
Dr. Lim’s research focuses on Agricultural Global Value Chains (AGVCs) and their role in shaping the global food system by linking production, processing, and distribution across borders. Over the past eight years, he has played a leading role in advancing AGVC research, integrating perspectives from supply chains, international agribusiness, and trade. His work examines AGVCs at both national and regional levels, addressing issues related to structural transformation, agricultural labor markets, food security, sustainability, and intellectual property rights. Amid escalating trade disputes and geopolitical risks, Dr. Lim has investigated how AGVC flows are influenced by these dynamics and domestic agricultural policies, offering policy-relevant insights with a focus on agribusiness-level networks. More recently, his research explores how firms’ decisions—such as supply chain positioning, foreign direct investment, and intermediate input transactions—are shaped by climate change and political instability in trading countries, and how these shifts impact agribusiness upgrading and regional economies.
Dr. Lim’s research has been published in leading academic journals, including the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Nature Communications, NBER Book Series, Food Policy, Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Handbook of Agricultural Economics, and The World Economy.
Recognizing the growing influence of GVCs in agricultural economics, Dr. Lim has actively contributed to the field through various leadership roles. He was a contributor to the 2020 FAO flagship report, served as Guest Editor for a special issue on AGVCs in Food Policy, and has held positions such as AAEA Topic Leader and Chair of the Hatch Multistate Research Group S-1072. Beginning in 2025, he will serve as the U.S. Universities Representative on the Executive Committee of the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium (IATRC). In recognition of his contributions, he was honored with the 2024 Rising Faculty Research Award, a university-wide distinction at LSU.
Dr. Lim earned his BS in Economics in 2013 and his MS in Agricultural and Resource Economics in 2015 from the University of California, Davis. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota in 2020.
About the Program
Farm Foundation’s Agricultural Economics Fellow program is a yearlong program for a faculty agricultural economist. The 2025 fellowship is focused on integrated systems approaches to understanding and overcoming the challenges in developing a greater understanding of how trade and sustainability are interconnected and are impacting the food and agricultural sectors in the United States and beyond.
In addition to being mentored by staff in USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, Lim in turn will mentor participants in the Farm Foundation and USDA Economic Research Service Agricultural Scholars program, among other engagements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Selection Process
+–Nominations are currently closed.
About the Agricultural Economics Fellowship
+–The Agricultural Economics Fellow program is designed to nurture a promising leader in the field and provides a post-Ph.D. agricultural economist with a unique yearlong opportunity to be mentored and mentor, provide thought leadership through publications and speaking appearances, expand their network, manage high-visibility projects and elevate their stature and reputation in the food and agricultural sectors. The 2025 fellowship is focused on the bioeconomy and related fields of applied economic research.
There are multiple initiatives, across the private sector and government at all levels, designed to expand market opportunities in the agricultural and bioeconomy sector and to enhance value of existing products derived from the land all while doing so in a more sustainable way. Investments include expanding access to clean energy systems and increase the availability of domestic biofuels that will create new market opportunities and jobs for the U.S. agricultural and food sectors while increasing America’s energy security and achieving climate goals.
The 2025 Agricultural Economics Fellowship will provide an opportunity for an agricultural economist with expertise in the bioeconomy field to connect with researchers in the USDA and other agencies, publish their research, network across the industry, and attend conferences and events.
This Fellow will work with diverse stakeholders on integrated systems approaches to develop a greater understanding of how the bioeconomy affects U.S. and global food and agricultural markets. The Ag Econ Fellow may focus work on connecting regulatory, legal. and institutional frameworks to conduct economic research and communicate findings related to renewable energy and the bioeconomy, including, but not limited to circular economy themes, sustainable aviation fuel, biofuel feedstocks, biogas, and bioenergy from biomass.
Expectations and Opportunities for the Agricultural Economics Fellow
+–– Participate and engage in Farm Foundation programs or events (e.g., attend or participate in relevant conferences)
– Produce several short written pieces, such as blog posts
– Author at least one issue paper on sustainable food systems
– Network and be mentored by staff in USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, with at least six meetings anticipated
– Mentor and meet with participants in the Farm Foundation and USDA Economic Research Service Ag Scholars program on a recurring basis
– Mentor and meet with other participants in Farm Foundation’s suite of Next Generation programs as time and opportunities allow
Agricultural Economics Fellow Program Alumni
Learn about our program alumni and their work during their fellowships.
Agricultural Economics Fellow and Agricultural Economics Trade Fellow Alumni