Research

Peer-Reviewed Journals

Impact of Formal Household Land Ownership on Farm Productivity and Agriculture as a Primary Occupation of Youth in Ghana

Quaye, L.-A., and G. Kostandini.

Agribusiness, 0: e70134 · 2026

Development Economics Agribusiness View Paper

Working Papers

Exploring the Dynamics of the El Niño Southern Oscillation and Food Commodity Prices

This study investigates the impact of ENSO on five major commodity prices from 1980 to 2022, using Smooth Transition Autoregressive (STAR) and Smooth Transition Vector Error Correction (STVECM) models to capture nonlinear dynamics and regime shifts triggered by ENSO shocks. Severe temperature deviations are associated with 10–20% price changes, with warmer phases (El Niño) generally lowering prices and cooler phases (La Niña) raising them — findings with significant implications for food security in import-dependent, low-income countries.

Time Series Food Security Under Review

Down the Mississippi: How Barge Rates Affect Corn Basis

Using weekly data from 2014 to 2024, this study applies a Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) with spatial and time fixed effects to examine how barge freight rates influence corn basis along the Mississippi River. Rising freight rates are associated with declining local corn basis, and significant spillover effects show that rate changes in one region affect basis values in neighboring markets.

Agricultural Economics Spatial Econometrics

Policy Papers

Cost-benefit Analysis of WFP’s Food Assistance for Assets Projects: Evidence from Rwanda and Zimbabwe

Gupta, A. and Quaye, L.-A. · UN World Food Programme · April 5, 2022

Non-Peer Reviewed Online Publications

Abedin, N., Alwang, J., Chen, S., Fan, F., Liverpool, A., Navarette, J., Posadas, B., Quaye, L., & Tajanpure, P. (2022). Using Remote Sensed Data For Social & Economic Decision Making In Zimbabwe. University of Virginia Biocomplexity Institute.

Gupta, A., Kahsai, M., Pierce, T., Prisbe, C., Quaye, L., & Toure, M. (2021). Availability of Services: Evolving Demographics, Housing, & Traffic in Rappahannock County, VA. University of Virginia Biocomplexity Institute.

Research Projects

Data Science for the Public Good Project — “Using Remote Sensed Data for Social & Economic Decision Making in Zimbabwe,” University of Virginia Biocomplexity Institute (Summer 2022)

“Cost-benefit Analysis of WFP’s Food Assistance for Assets projects: Evidence from Rwanda and Zimbabwe” with Anubhab Gupta (Fall 2021 – Spring 2022)

Data Science for the Public Good Project — “Availability of Services: Evolving Demographics, Housing, and Traffic in Rappahannock County, Virginia,” University of Virginia Biocomplexity Institute (Summer 2021)

Oral Presentations

Transportation Disruptions and Corn Basis Volatility along the Mississippi River. AAEA Meeting, Denver, CO, 07/2025.

An Analysis of Corn Basis Volatility Along the Mississippi. Conference on Applied Commodity Price Analysis, Forecasting, and Market Risk Management, Chicago, IL, 04/2025.

Exploring the Dynamics of the El Niño Southern Oscillation and Food Commodity Prices. Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 11/2024.

Exploring the Dynamics of Food Commodity Prices and Weather Anomalies using a STAR model. Virginia Association of Economists Annual Meeting, Lexington, VA, 04/2024 — Best Paper Award.

Exploring the Dynamics of Food Commodity Prices and Weather Anomalies using a STAR model. Graduate & Professional Student Senate Research Symposium, Virginia Tech, 03/2024.

Exploring the Dynamics of Food Commodity Prices and Weather Anomalies using a STAR model. Southern Agricultural Economics Association Meeting, Atlanta, GA, 02/2024.

Poster Presentations

Exploring the Dynamics of Food Commodity Prices and Weather Anomalies using a STAR model. AAEA Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 07/2024.