Research

As an applied microeconomist, my research seeks to better understand the challenges facing underserved communities in rural areas. By focusing on both classical and behavioral components of decision-making, my research helps make sense of observed behavior and guide the design of policies seeking to foster resilience in the face of economic and environmental uncertainty.

I believe that these questions are as relevant for my home community in Maine as for the communities in Mozambique and Nicaragua, where I have spent much of the previous fifteen years studying the effects of drought on smallholding farmers.

Research Interests
· Risk, Insurance, and Investment
· Food Security and Household Resilience
· Agricultural Value Chains

Peer-Reviewed Publications (Google Scholar Profile)

Ryan, C. H., Morgan, C., Malacarne, J. G., & Belarmino, E. H. (2025). An Asset-Based Examination of Contextual Factors Influencing Nutrition Security: The Case of Rural Northern New England. Nutrients, 17(2), 295. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17020295

Malacarne J.G., Miller L., Ospina A.M., Wyatt B. (2025) “Diverse and (Sometimes) Divergent Needs in Maine’s Wild Blueberry Industry”. Choices. Available Online at https://www.choicesmagazine.org/choices-magazine/submitted-articles/diverse-and-sometimes-divergent-needs-in-maines-wild-blueberry-industry

Schattman, R. E., Malacarne, J., Mallory, E. B., & Goossen, C. P. (2024). Supporting farmers in coping with water extremes: aligning farmer needs and advisor confidence, skills, and expertise. Environmental Research: Food Systems, 1(2), 025002. http://doi.org/10.1088/2976-601X/ad63ab

Boucher, S. R., Carter, M. R., Flatnes, J. E., Lybbert, T. J., Malacarne, J. G., Marenya, P., & Paul, L. A. (2024). Bundling Genetic and Financial Technologies for More Resilient and Productive Small-scale Agriculture. The Economic Journal. https://doi.org/10.1093/ej/ueae012

Sarker, Prianka, Daley, Angela, & Malacarne, J.G. (2024). Agricultural and Resource Economics Review. “The effects of a universal income transfer on food insecurity within households”. https://doi.org/10.1017/age.2024.4

Niles, M., McCarthy, A.C., Malacarne, J.G., Bliss, S., Belarmino, E.H., Laurent, J., Merrill, S., Nowak, S.A., Schattman, R. (2024). “Home food production associated with improved food security during the COVID-19 pandemic”. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52320-z

Belarmino, E.H., Malacarne, J.G., Niles, M., McCarthy, A., Nowak, S., Merrill, S., Laurent, J., Schattman, R., Yerxa, K.. (2024). “Suboptimal diets identified among adults in two rural states during the COVID-19 pandemic”. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2024.2313524

Alloush, Mo, Bloem, Jeffrey R., Malacarne, J. G. (2023) “Social Protection Amid a Crisis: New Evidence From South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant”. World Bank Economic Review. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhad037

Malacarne, J. G. (2023). The farmer and the fates: Locus of control and investment in rainfed agriculture. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13403

Miller, L., & Malacarne, JG (2023). What role can farmers markets play in the larger context of food access? A simulation model with application to the state of Maine. Applied Geography, 158, 103053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2023.103053

Malacarne, J. G., & Paul, L. A. (2022). Do the benefits of improved management practices to nutritional outcomes “dry up” in the presence of drought? Evidence from East Africa. Food Policy, 113, 102332.

Malacarne, JG, Jason Lilley, and Nancy McBrady. “The Response of the Maine Food System to the Onset of COVID-19 Pandemic.” Maine Policy Review 30.2 (2021): 34 -47.

Under Review

Malacarne, J.G. and Paul, Laura. (In review). “Measuring and Enhancing Resilience of United States Rural Communities in the Context of Climate Variability”.

McFadden, Jonathan, Malacarne, J.G., Bailey, Sam, Paul, Laura, and Bonin, Dan. (In review). “Drought-Tolerant Crops as a Climate Change Adaptation Tool: Productivity, Input Complementarity, and Risk Effects in U.S. Corn”.

Ospina, A.M., Malacarne, J.G., Boucher, Stephen R., Manuel, Lourenco, Popat, Meizal, & Jones, Rachel. (In review). “Experimenting with Drought Tolerant Maize and Index Insurance in a Low-cost Virtual Environment”.

Kramer, Berber, Malacarne, J.G., & Waweru, Carol. (In review). “How does willingness to pay for insurance depend on control over future insurance payouts? Evidence from a Picture-based Insurance Intervention in Kenya”

Kramer, Berber, Malacarne, J.G., & Waweru, Carol.  (In review). “How does bundling complementary technologies affect demand for seeds? Evidence from a Picture-based Insurance Intervention in Kenya”

Additional Working Papers

Boucher, S. R., Carter, M. R., Flatnes, J. E., Lybbert, T. J., Malacarne, J. G., Marenya, P., & Paul, L. A. (2021). Bundling stress tolerant seeds and insurance for more resilient and productive small-scale agriculture (No. w29234). National Bureau of Economic Research. http://doi.org/10.3386/w29234

Policy Briefs and Industry Reports

Mitchell, Rebecca C.; Anderzén, Janica; Belarmino, Emily H.; Bertmann, Farryl; Bliss, Sam; Laurent, Jennifer S.; Malacarne, Jonathan; McCarthy, Ashley C.; Merrill, Scott; Nowak, Sarah; Schattman, Rachel E.; Yerxa, Kathryn; and Niles, Meredith T., “Experiences and Ongoing Challenges of Food Insecure Households in Vermont and Maine” (2025). College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications. 207.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/calsfac/207

Malacarne, J.G., and Sitts, Sarah. “Locus of Control Influenced Farmer Investment in Drought-tolerant Maize”. MRR Evidence Insight (2025). https://basis.ucdavis.edu/publication/locus-control-influences-farmer-investment-drought-tolerant-maize

Malacarne, J.G., Bilinski, Cheryl. Wyatt, Bruce and Leavitt, Kevin. (2024) “The Use of and Interest in Ancient Grains in Northeastern Institutional Kitchens”. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/eco_facpub/26

McCarthy, Ashley C.; Bertmann, Farryl; Belarmino, Emily H.; Bliss, Sam; Laurent, Jennifer; Malacarne, Jonathan; Merrill, Scott; Schattman, Rachel E.; Yerxa, Kathryn; and Niles, Meredith T., “A 2022 Assessment of Food Security and Health Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic” (2022). College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications. 192. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/calsfac/192

Malacarne, JG and Howard, Chris. (2022) “Why Are You Seeking Out Farm Training? New Farmer Survey Results”. https://extension.umaine.edu/new-farmers/why-are-you-seeking-out-farm-training-2022-new-farmer-survey-results/

Annis, S., Calderwood, L., Phanning, P., Malacarne, J., Zhang, Y. “2021 Wild Blueberry Research & Extension Reports”

Laurent, Jennifer PhD, APRN; Bertmann, Farryl; Alpaugh, Mattie; Belarmino, Emily H.; Bliss, Sam; Malacarne, Jonathan; McCarthy, Ashley C.; Merrill, Scott C.; Schattman, Rachel E.; Yerxa, Kathryn; and Niles, Meredith T., “Change in Food Security and Health Outcomes Since the COVID-19 Pandemic in Northern New England” (2022). College of Nursing and Health Sciences Faculty Publications. 4. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/cnhsfac/4/

Niles, Meredith T.; Alpaugh, Mattie; Bertmann, Farryl; Belarmino, Emily H.; Bliss, Sam; Laurent, Jennifer; Malacarne, Jonathan; McCarthy, Ashley; Merrill, Scott; Schattman, Rachel E.; and Yerxa, Kathryn, “Home Food Production and Food Security Since the COVID-19 Pandemic” (2021). College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications. 189. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/calsfac/189/

Baily, Megan, Bell, Kathleen P., Crawley, Andrew, Gabe, Todd, Malacarne, J.G., Rubin, Jonathan. (2021). Economic Impacts of Investments in Food and Agricultural Processing Infrastructure in Maine.

Annis, S., Calderwood, L., Phanning, P., Ishaq, S., Malacarne, J., Zhang, Y. (2020) “2020 Wild Blueberry Research & Extension Reports”

Boucher, S., Carter, M., Lybbert, T., Malacarne, J., Marenya, P., and Paul, L.. (2019). Innovations for Drought Resilience Two Ways in Mozambique and Tanzania. MRR Innovation Lab Evidence Insight. No. 2019-02. September 2019. https://basis.ucdavis.edu/publication/evidence-insight-innovations-drought-resilience-two-ways-mozambique-and-tanzania

Boucher, S., Carter, M., Erenstein, O., Flatnes, J.E., Lybbert, T., Malacarne, J., Marenya, P., and Paul, L.. (2019). Bundling Innovative Risk Management Technologies to Accelerate Agricultural Growth and Improve Nutrition. MRR Innovation Lab Project Report. https://basis.ucdavis.edu/publication/bundling-innovative-risk-management-technologies-accelerate-agricultural-growth-and