Anubhab Gupta

Expertise

• Agricultural economics
• Development economics
• Food policies
• Applied econometrics

In my research program, I apply economic theory and applied econometric tools to understand issues in agricultural markets and impact evaluation of programs and interventions in developed and developing countries.

I focus on market structures, market power, and supply chains in agriculture, and on developing tools for impact evaluations of programs and policies with a particular focus on local-economy general equilibrium impacts. My research integrates general equilibrium impacts of interventions within agricultural supply chains to provide economic insights and estimations of the direct and indirect benefits of policy interventions. Secondary research topics include conflicts- and climate-change-induced population displacement, such as internal migration, refugee economics, etc., and understanding livelihood diversification and coping strategies for vulnerable households in the face of climate change.

I use rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental econometric approaches paired with structural methods and cost-benefit analyses in my program to evaluate and inform policy decisions.

Courses Taught:

•  AAEC 6314: Topics in Applied Development Economics (Ph.D. level) (Fall 2024)
• AAEC 6244 (previously 6984): Empirical Analysis of Markets and Policy (Ph.D. level) (Fall 2025, 2023, Spring 2022)
• AAEC 3204: International Agricultural Development Economics and Trade (undergraduate level) (Fall 2023, 2022, 2021; Spring 2021)
• AAEC 4984/5154: Topics in International Development (Fall 2022, 2021, 2020) (under-
  graduate & M.S. levels)

Experience

• Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech, 2020-present
• Postdoctoral Scholar, Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis, 2019-2020
• Research Consultant, World Food Programme HQ, Rome, May-Aug 2018
• Research Consultant, Food and Agricultural Organization, May-Dec 2015

Awards

• CALS Global Opportunity Initiative (GOI) Fellow, Virginia Tech (2022)
• Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award, UC Davis (2018)
• Erika C.H. Meng Scholarship for Development Policy and Research, UC Davis (2018-19)
• Blum Center PASS Research Grant, UC Davis (2018-19)
• UC Davis and Humanities Graduate Research Award (2018-19)
• Henry A. Jastro Research Award, UC Davis (2017)
• Travel Award, UN University WIDER Conference (2017)
• Graduate Student Fellowship, UC Davis (2013-2014)
• E. Ray Cowden Scholarship, U Arizona (2011 & 2012)

Selected peer-reviewed journal articles

(† denotes graduate students)

1. Gupta, A., Doan, M.K., Zhu, H., Whitney, E., Filipski, M., Gonzalez-Estrada, E., Ryckembusch, D., and Taylor, J.E. "Rural Economy-wide Impacts of Kenya’s Home-Grown School Meals Program." Food Policy, 134 (2025).
2. Das, N.†, Gupta, A., Mingo, C., Zhu, H. “Impacts of Financial Literacy Training on Refugee Youth Outcomes” The Journal of Development Studies (2025).
3. Zhu, H., Gupta, A., Filipski, M., Valli, J., Gonzalez-Estrada, E., Taylor, J.E. “Economic Impact of Giving Land to Refugees” Americal Journal of Agricultural Economics, 106(1) (2024): 226-251.
4. Gupta, A., Zhu, H., Bhammar, H., Earley, E., Filipski, M., Narain, U., Spencer, P., Whitney, E., and Taylor, "Economic Impact of Nature-based Tourism." PLOS One, 18(4) (2023): e0282912.
5. Filipski, M., Gupta, A., Kagin, J. et al. “A Local General-equilibrium Emergency Response Modeling Approach for Sub-Saharan Africa.” Agricultural Economics, 53(1) (2022): 72-89.
6. Gupta, A., Zhu, H., Doan, M.K., Michuda, A., and Majumder, B. “Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Lockdown in a Remittance-dependent Region.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 103(2) (2021):466-485.