OAC Agri-Food Economics Grads Examine Farmland Values; MSc Eases Transition to Industry Careers

Climate change is reshaping farmland - influencing crop yields, water availability, overall productivity and land values. Understanding these changes is crucial for farmers, policymakers, and economists alike. Two recent graduates of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) have published their research in the Journal of Land Economics, exploring the impact that climate change might have on farmland values – the results are surprising.

Chris Kimmerer, a graduate of the MSc in Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) program worked with Dr. Brady Deaton, an Alliance-funded researcher who leads an annual survey on Ontario farmland values, to examine a unique dataset of 10,000 parcel-level sales in 2020, allowing for a detailed analysis of farmland values. This included the analysis of non-agricultural variables like the proximity of the farm to urban areas.

A few years later, MSc FARE graduate Nick Bannon expanded Kimmerer’s work and analyzed 45,000 farmland sales from 2017 to 2022, data provided to them by Farm Credit Canada (FCC), helped produce one of the most in-depth studies on how climate change affects Canadian farmland values.

Their publication in Land Economics highlights not only the quality of research emerging from OAC but also the real-world applications of an MSc in FARE.

Both graduates have seamlessly transitioned into promising careers in the food economics sector. Kimmerer, who completed his MSc in 2022, is now an Analyst for the policy and trade team at Dairy Farmers of Canada, where he focuses on consumption trends, policy advocacy, and trade analysis.

Bannon, a 2024 graduate, is now working as a research professional for Analysis Group, an economic and litigation consulting firm, applying his expertise in agricultural economics to complex market analyses. The MSc program, along with his internship at FCC provided him with the professional knowledge and skill set to jump into this position.

Read the story on the OAC website: OAC Agri-Food Economics Grads Examine How Climate Change Impacts Farmland Values