Briefly
Christopher G. Davis is a research agricultural economist in the Animal Products and Cost of Production Branch in the Market and Trade Economics Division at USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS). Christopher joined USDA, ERS in 2002 as a production economist and is the agency’s aquaculture specialist. He manages a $350,000 Strategic Priority Grant that analyzes structural change, international competition, and environmental impacts in the aquaculture industry. Presently, Christopher conducts research on dairy, poultry, beef, pork, and aquatic trade. In addition to trade analysis, he examines how economic and demographic factors influence U.S. consumption of animal products. Christopher presently serves a member of the National Aquaculture Economic Development Task Force, the USDA Interagency Working Group on Aquaculture, the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Aquaculture's Economic Development Task Force, and is the co-coordinator of the USDA, ERS Distance Learning Program.
Background
Before joining ERS, Christopher was an instructor at Southeastern Louisiana University and Baton Rouge Community College. Before coming to Louisiana, Christopher served as the recruiter for Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Food Science Program and the College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture.
Christopher served as chair (2019 and 2004–07) of the Committee on the Opportunities and Status of Blacks in Agricultural Economics (COSBAE), a section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA).
Since joining ERS, Christopher has served as an economics instructor at Howard University and American University and a finance and economics instructor at Bowie State University.
Education
Christopher holds a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Louisiana State University, an M.S. in agricultural sciences and a B.S. in agribusiness from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
Professional Affiliations
American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA), Southern Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA), Committee on the Status of Blacks in Agricultural Economics (COSBAE), Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS)
China Section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA).
Selected Publications
ERS Publications
Davis, C. & Rexroad, C. (May 22, 2024). U.S. seafood imports expand as domestic aquaculture repositions itself. Amber Waves, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Gillespie, J., Whitt, C. & Davis, C. (2023). Structure, management practices, and production costs of U.S. beef cow-calf Farms (ERR-321), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, July, 40 pp.
Collins, L.A., & Davis, C.G. (2022). Number of U.S. hog operations declined between 1997 and 2017 while farm size and contract production increased (Chart of Note). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, December.
Davis, C.G., & Collins, L.A. (2022). U.S. hog sector increased specialization, production contract use, and farm size from 1992 to 2015 (Chart of Note). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, October.
Davis, C., Dimitri, C., Nehring, R., Haley, M., Ha, K., & Collins, L. (2022). U.S. hog production in 2015: Rising output and changing trends in productivity growth (ERR-308). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, August, 56 pp.
Davis, C. (September 2021). U.S. beef imports down on multi-month reduction in shipments from Australia (LDP special article LDP-M-327). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Davis, C. (September 2021). U.S. beef imports from Australia and imported lean beef prices. Chart of Note, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Davis, C. (May 24, 2021). Robust overseas demand for U.S. meats, led by pork and poultry, drove trade surplus in 2020. Chart of Note, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Davis, C. (March 1, 2021). Global suppliers competed on price in 2020 for China’s beef market. Chart of Note, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Cessna, J. & Davis, C. (February 1, 2021). Growth in U.S. dairy product exports to Southeast Asia depends on competition with other major dairy exporters. Amber Waves, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Davis, C. & Cessna, J. (January 11, 2021). U.S. dairy products imported by Southeast Asia rose in rank and value from 2006 to 2018. Chart of Note, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Davis, C. & Cessna, J. (December 2020). Prospects for growth in U.S. dairy exports to Southeast Asia (ERR-document number). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 52 pages.
Cessna, J., Kuberka, L., Davis, C., Law, J., & Hoskin, R. (November 2016). Growth of U.S. dairy exports (E-Outlook LDPM-270-01). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 56 pages.
Stewart, H., Hahn, W., Cessna, J., & Davis, C. (August 2016). Processing and marketing blunt the impact of volatile farm prices on retail dairy prices. Amber Waves feature on animal products, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 7 pages.
Davis, C., Harvey, D., Zahniser, S., Gale, F., & Liefert W. (November 2013). Assessing the growth of U.S. broiler and poultry meat exports (LDPM-231-01) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Davis, C., Dong, D., Blayney, D., & Owens, A. (December 2010). An analysis of U.S. household dairy demand (TB-1928). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Jones, K.G., & Davis, C. (September 2010). ERS innovates as it expands distance learning ventures with minority-serving institutions. Amber Waves finding, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Davis, C., Blayney, D., Dong, D., Stefanova, S., & Johnson, A. (August 2010). Long-term growth in U.S. cheese consumption may slow (LDPM-193-01). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Davis, C., & Lin, B.H. (October 2005). Factors affecting U.S. beef consumption (LDPM-13502). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Davis, C., & Lin, B.H. (April 2005). Factors affecting U.S. pork consumption (LDPM-13001). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
Selected Academic Publications
Wang, T., Kreuter, U., Davis, C., & Cheye, S. (2024). Climate impacts of alternative beef production systems depend on the functional unit used: Weight or monetary value. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 121 (31) e2321245121.
Davis, C., Collins, L.A., & Davis, G.P. (2024). A comparison of operator and financial characteristics of U.S. beef cow-calf producers by race. Applied Economics Perspectives and Policy. 2024;1-24.
Arnade, C., & Davis, C. (2019). Chickens, feed grains, or both: The Mexican market. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 51(2):1–18.
Davis, C, Cessna, J., & Blayney, D. (2018), Southeast Asia's import demand for skim milk powder: Implications for U.S. exporters.” Journal of Dairy Science 101(5):4676–4689.
Blayney, D., Crawford, T., & Davis, C. 2016, Dairy export markets: Changing the structure of U.S. dairy demand. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 19(special issue B):201–18.
Davis, C., & Hahn, W. (2016). Assessing the status of global dairy trade. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 19(special issue B):1–10.
Davis, C. (2016), Potential impacts of trans-pacific partnership on Japanese cheese imports. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 19(special issue B):73–84.
Hahn, W., Stewart, H., Blayney, D., & Davis, C. (2016). Modeling price transmission between farm and retail prices: A soft switches approach. Agricultural Economics 47(2):193–203.
Davis, C. (2015). Factors influencing global poultry trade. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 18(special issue A):1–12.
Davis, C., & Dyck, J. (2015). Shocks to a trading system: Korean and Japanese poultry trade and Avian influenza. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 18(special issue A):99–114.
No, C., Davis, C., & Harvey, D. (2015). Pricing-to-market and exchange rate pass-through in the U.S. broiler meat export markets. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 18(special issue A):79–90.
Davis, C., & Taha, F. (2015). The impact of exchange rate risk on Africa’s imports of world poultry. Agrekon 54(2):38–50.
Dong, D., Davis, C., & Stewart, H. (2015). The quantity and variety of households’ meat purchases: A censored demand system approach. Agricultural Economics 46(1):99–112.
Hahn, W., & Davis, C. (2014). Costs of taxing sodium: A lunch meat application. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 17(special issue A):25–39.
Davis, C., Muhammad, A., Karemera, D., & Harvey, D. (2014). Has exchange rate volatility affected broiler trade flows?” Agribusiness 30(1):46–55.
Davis, C., Dong, D., Hahn, W., Eales, J., & Yen, S. (2013). Economic and demographic factors affecting U.S. demand for lunch meats. Food Economics 9(2):231–240.
Davis, C., Dong, D., Yen, S., Blayney, D., & Stillman, R. (2012). U.S. fluid milk demand: A disaggregated approach International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 15(1):25–50.
Davis, C., Yen, S., Dong, D., & Blayney, D. (2011). Assessing economic and demographic factors that influence U.S. dairy demand. Journal of Dairy Science 94(7):3715–23.
Davis, C., Dong, D., Blayney, D., Yen, S., & Johnson, R. (2011). Will changing demographics affect U.S. cheese demand? Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 43(2):259–273.
Davis, C., Blayney, D., Muhammad, A., Yen, S., & Cooper, J. (2010). A cross sectional analysis of U.S. yogurt demand. Journal of Food Distribution Research 41(2):36–45.
Davis, C., Blayney, D., Cooper, J., & Yen, S. (2009). An analysis of at-home demand for ice cream in the United States. Journal of Dairy Science 92(12):6210–16.
Yen, S., Lin, B.H., & Davis, C. (2008). Consumer knowledge and meat consumption at home and away from home. Food Policy 33(6):631–639.
Davis, C., & Gillespie, J. (2007). Factors affecting the selection of business arrangements by U.S. hog farmers,” Review of Agricultural Economics 29(3):331–348.
Davis, C., & Gillespie, J. (2004). Attitudes and characteristics of U.S. hog producers under alternative business arrangements. Journal of American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisal 67(1):27–32.
Lin, B.H., Davis, C., & Yen, S. (2004). Consumption of pork products: Now and to the year 2020,” Journal of Agribusiness 22(2):133–147.
Gillespie, J., Davis, C., & Rahelizatovo, N. (2004). An evaluation of U.S. hog producer preferences toward autonomy. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 36(3):575–590.
Gillespie, J., Davis, C., & Rahelizatovo, N. (2004). Factors influencing the adoption of breeding technology adoption in hog production. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 36(1):35–47.
Gillespie, J., Schupp, A., Davis, C., & Basarir, A. (June 2001). The changing structure of the U.S. livestock and poultry industries. 2001 Beef Cattle Research Report 31:51–54, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.
Gillespie, J., Davis, C., Basarir, A., & Schupp, A. (November 2000). A comparative analysis of the evolution of the three major U.S. meat industries: With implications for the future direction of the U.S. beef industry,” Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin # 877, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.
Weatherspoon, D., Davis, C., & Olorunnipa, Z. (December 1999). Analysis of import demand for U.S. fresh grapes: An application of the Rotterdam model (staff paper 99‑64). Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University, December.
Book Chapter
Davis, C., Blayney, D., & J. Guthrie, J. (2013). The consumption of cheese in relation to dairy foods in the USA, in Handbook of cheese in health: Production, nutrition and medical sciences, King’s College London, ed. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers, ISBN: 978–90–8686–211–5.