Staff Biographical Page: Hisham El-Osta

Briefly

Hisham El-Osta is an economist with the Farm Household Well-Being Branch in ERS's Resource and Rural Economics Division. He is responsible for research pertinent to the labor allocation decisions of farm operator households and to the measurement of disparity in the distribution of households' income and wealth. His research responsibilities since joining ERS in 1989 also included measurement of the technical efficiency in farm production, and examination of the determinants of technology adoption and of their impact on production performance.

Background

Prior to joining ERS, Hisham worked as a research assistant at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he worked with Professor Glenn Helmers on numerous research projects, with special emphasis on the role of risk in agricultural production.

Education

Hisham holds B.S. degrees in Agronomy and Economics and an M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Professional Affiliations

Hisham is a member of the Northeastern Agricultural Economics Association.

Publications

See all ERS publications by this author >

Selected Recent Bulletins and Reports

Mishra, A., H. El-Osta, and J. Johnson. Succession Decisions and Retirement Income of Farm Households. Proceedings of Presented Papers at the Agricultural Outlook Forum. Arlington, Virginia, Feb. 24-25, 2005.

Mishra, A., R. Durst, and H. El-Osta. "How Do U.S. Farmers Plan for Retirement?" Amber Waves, ERS, USDA, April 2005:12-18.

Mishra, A., M. Morehart, H. El-Osta, J. Johnson, and J. Hopkins. "Wealth and Income Contribute Jointly to the Economic Well-Being of Farm Operator Households." Rural America, ERS, USDA, Vol. 17, No. 2, Summer 2002:12-13.

Mishra, A., H. El-Osta, M. Morehart,, J. Johnson, and J. Hopkins. "Income, Wealth, and the Economic Well-Being of Farm Households." AER 812, ERS, USDA, September 2002.

Mishra, A., M. Morehart, H. El-Osta, J. Johnson, and J. Hopkins. "Assessing the Economic Well-Being of Farm Households." Agricultural Outlook, ERS, USDA, August 2002:31-34.

Selected Recent Articles in Journals

El-Osta, H. and M. Morehart. Determinants of Poverty among U.S. Farm Households. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics. Vol. 40, No. 1 (April 2008):1-20.

El-Osta, H., A. Mishra, and M. Morehart. Off-farm Labor Allocation Decisions of Married Farm Couples and the Role of Government Payments. Review of Agricultural Economics. Vol. 30, No. 2 (April 2008):1-22.

Mishra, A., and H. El-Osta. Effects of Agricultural Policy on Succession Decisions of Farm Households. Review of Economics of Households. Vol. 6 (September 2008):285-307.

El-Osta, H. The Determinants of a Quality of Life Indicator for Farm Operator Households: Application of Zero-Inflated Count-Data Models. Journal of Applied Research in Quality of Life. Vol. 2, No. 3 (September 2007):145-163.

Mishra, A., and H. El-Osta. "Factors Affecting Succession Decisions in Family Farm Businesses: Evidence from a National Survey." Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. Vol. 70, No. 1 (2007):1-10.

El-Osta, H., A. Mishra, and M. Morehart. "Determinants of Economic Well-Being among Farm Operator Households." Agricultural Economics. Vol.36 (2007):291-304.

Ahearn, M., H. El-Osta, and J. Dewbre. "The Impact of Coupled and Decoupled Government Subsidies on the Labor Allocation Decisions of Farm Operators." American Journal of Agricultural Economics. Vol. 88, No.2 (May 2006):393-408.

El-Osta H., A. Mishra, and M. Ahearn. "Labor Supply by Farm Operators Under 'Decoupled' Farm Program Payments." Review of Economics of the Household. Vol. 2, No. 3 (2004):367-385.

El-Osta, H., and A. Mishra. "Dimensions of Wealth Dispersion among Farm Households: An Assessment of the Impact of Farm Subsidies." Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics. Vol. 37, No. 1 (April 2005):187-208.

Mishra, A., W. Nimon, and H. El-Osta. "Is Moral Hazard Good for the Environment? Revenue Insurance and Chemical Input Use." Journal of Environmental Management. Vol. 74, No. 1 (2004):11-20.

McBride, W., S. Short, and H. El-Osta. "Production and Financial Impacts of the Adoption of Bovine Somatotropin on U.S. Dairy Farms." Review of Agricultural Economics. Vol. 26, No. 4 (2004):472-488.

Mishra, A., and H.S. El-Osta. "Managing Risk in Agriculture through Hedging and Crop Insurance: What Does a National Survey Reveal?" Agricultural Finance Review. Vol. 21, No. 2 (Fall 2002):135-148.

El-Osta, H., and M. Morehart. "The Dynamics of Wealth Concentration among Farm Operator Households."Agricultural and Resource Economics Review. Vol. 31, No. 1 (April 2002):84-96.

McBride, W., and H. El-Osta. "Impacts of the Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops on Farm Financial Performance." Journal of Agriculture and Applied Economics. Vol. 34, No. 1 (April 2002):175-191.

Mishra, A., and H. El-Osta. "A Temporal Comparison of Sources of Variability in Farm Household Income." Agricultural Finance Review. Vol. 61, No. 2 (Fall 2001):181-198.

El-Osta, H., and M. Morehart. "A Technology Adoption and Its Impact on Production Performance of Dairy Operations." Review of Agricultural Economics. Vol. 22, No. 2 (2000):477-498.

Mishra, A., H. El-Osta, and C. Sandretto, "Factors Affecting Farm Enterprise Diversification." Agricultural Finance Review. Vol. 64, No. 2 (Fall 2004):151-166.