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 ten 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)

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

Boucher, S. R., Carter, M. R., Flatnes, J. E., Lybbert, T. J., Malacarne, J. G., Marenya, P., & Paul, L. A. (NBER working paper, R&R). Bundling Genetic and Financial Technologies for More Resilient and Productive Small-scale Agriculture.

8) Alloush, Mo, Bloem, Jeffrey R., Malacarne, J.G. ( R&R) Social Protection Amid a Crisis: New Evidence From South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant.

7) Miller, L and Malacarne, J.G. (R&R) “What role can farmers markets play in the larger context of food access? Theory and evidence from Maine”.

6) Schattman, R. E., Malacarne, J.G., Mallory, E., & Goossen, C. P. (In review). Coping with water extremes in agriculture: Aligning farmer needs and advisor confidence, skills, and expertise.

5) Malacarne, J.G. (In review) “The Farmer and the Fates: Locus of Control and Investment in Rainfed Agriculture”.

4) Sarker, Prianka, Daley, Angela, & Malacarne, J.G. (in review) “The effects of a universal income transfer on food insecurity within households”.

3) Belarmino, E.H., Malacarne, J.G., Niles, M., McCarthy, A., Nowak, S., Merrill, S., Laurent, J., Schattman, R., Yerxa, K.. (In review). “Suboptimal diets identified among adults in two rural states during the COVID-19 pandemic”

2) Niles, M., McCarthy, A.C., Malacarne, J.G., Bliss, S., Belarmino, E.H., Laurent, J., Merrill, S., Nowak, S.A., Schattman, R. (In review). “Home food production associated with improved food security during the COVID-19 pandemic”

1) Kelemen, S., Schattman, R., Roesch-McNally, G., Basche, A., Rosenzweig, S., Malacarne, J.G. , Erich,S. (In review). “Agricultural ecosystem service marketplaces: Farmer perspectives on program efficacy and soil health management”

Working Papers, Policy Briefs and Industry Reports

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/

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.