Takeaways
- Applied economics enables better outcomes: By studying how people respond to incentives and constraints, economists can bridge what’s scientifically feasible with what’s humanly possible to improve food systems and livelihoods.
- Accurate measurement is critical: Innovations in how time-use and labor are measured, especially among ultra-poor populations, are helping to reveal hidden burdens (like unpaid care work) and open pathways for change.
- Global change impacts local future: Insights from agricultural and development research in countries like Ethiopia don’t just matter abroad, they help inform strategies for U.S. farmers and global food markets, especially as populations and incomes rise.
Growing up with family roots in cattle ranching and a deep interest in helping feed the world, Ellen McCullough never imagined she’d spend her career studying how agricultural economics shapes lives worldwide.
“I actually hated economics,” she said, laughing. “If you’d told me as an undergrad that I’d get a Ph.D. in economics, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
Her path shifted when she realized that solving problems such as food insecurity and rural poverty required more than understanding crops and climate — it required understanding people.
“I saw firsthand how economics affects the way families make decisions about land, livestock and livelihoods. At its core, economics is about decision-making under scarcity,” McCullough said. “We all face constraints as a society, and economics helps us understand how to improve outcomes within those limits.”
This insight, combining environmental science with economics and policy, has guided McCullough’s career ever since. From her early studies in Earth systems and agricultural development to her work with the United Nations and the Gates Foundation, she has explored how data and human behavior intersect to drive meaningful change.
Now, as an assistant professor of agricultural and applied economics in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McCullough continues to investigate how agriculture can improve lives, particularly in developing countries where small shifts in opportunity can transform entire communities.
Solving problems through agricultural economics
McCullough’s journey began with an unexpected turn in a college class called “World Food Economy.” There she learned the global importance of agriculture, not only as the primary user of land and water, but also as the dominant occupation for rural populations, particularly in poverty-stricken regions.
“As I studied more, I realized that many of the challenges are driven by policies and incentives. That got me interested in development economics and agricultural economics,” she said.
After earning her undergraduate degree, McCullough joined the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. During that time she co-authored “The Transformation of Agri-Food Systems.” The book examines how globalization, income growth and technological change are reshaping food systems and supply chains — especially the rise of supermarkets — and their effects on small-scale (or smallholder) farmers in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
She later worked at the Gates Foundation as a research analyst and associate program officer, helping direct philanthropic efforts and fund policy research. That experience led her to pursue a doctorate in applied economics and management from Cornell University.
“I really gained a lot of respect for the applied economics way of thinking — organizing and structuring problems, analyzing data and informing decisions,” McCullough said.
Agricultural transformation in Ethiopia
While at Cornell, McCullough collaborated with the Agricultural Transformation Institute in Ethiopia, an initiative between the Gates Foundation and the Ethiopian government aimed at boosting agricultural productivity.
Her research translated national soil maps into models predicting farmer profitability, helping communities optimize crop production. These early projects forged connections that later expanded her work with CARE International on women’s economic participation in Ethiopia.
“Most people in developing countries are self-employed, meaning they don’t have timesheets or employer records. If you want to understand economic productivity, you need accurate measures of labor inputs,” she said.
Through CARE, McCullough and her collaborators developed a new method for measuring time use in low-literacy settings using cell phones to track how ultra-poor women balance household responsibilities with income-generating activities.
Innovation in data collection
Traditional surveys can underestimate the time women spend on domestic work or overestimate economic activity. McCullough’s team tested high-frequency phone surveys and in-person visits to capture real-time data.
“Respondents reported differently when asked in real time,” she said. “Women reported more domestic and care work and less time spent on economic activities than previous methods suggested.”
These experiments revealed that accurate, frequent reporting can provide clearer insights into daily life, helping policymakers design more effective programs.
Bridging science and human behavior
Women in many parts of the world face a “double burden” of work, managing unpaid household work such as childcare and chores while also engaging in economic activities to earn income. McCullough’s research examines how sharing the burden of unpaid housework more equally can enable women to increase their participation in income-generating activities.
“A number of programs worldwide help households graduate above the poverty line by encouraging investment in income-generating activities,” she said. “CARE, World Vision and other NGOs are looking for innovative ways to increase households’ income-earning potential.”
Her team surveyed married men in rural Ethiopia to gauge their beliefs about gender norms and household responsibilities. The results showed that men often underestimated peer acceptance for helping with household chores. Once they learned more about their peers’ attitudes, their participation increased, an effect that persisted six months to a year later.
“We were also surprised to find improvements in mental health for both women and men when men participate more in unpaid household work, even though the men had less time for leisure,” McCullough said. “It seemed to come from better relationship quality and a clearer understanding of each other’s work.”
Implications for global agriculture
McCullough’s work has implications far beyond Ethiopia. By understanding agricultural practices, labor patterns and consumer demand in developing countries, U.S. farmers and policymakers can better anticipate consumer needs in regions experiencing rapid rates of population and income growth.
“We view economic development as something that can lead to future markets and collaborations for Georgia and for our farmers here,” she said.
Even as federal funding for research has declined, McCullough emphasizes the importance of continued knowledge-sharing.
“The U.S. and agricultural experts in Georgia have a huge opportunity to share their expertise around the world to improve human lives,” she said. “The main difference between us and someone born on a farm in Ethiopia is opportunity — the chance to pursue education, start a business or access capital. We often take that for granted.”
Learn more about the UGA Department of Agricultural and Applied economics at agecon.uga.edu.
