Briefly
William McBride has been an economist with USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) since 1989. During the past several years he has been leader of the commodity cost and return (CAR) estimation project, responsible for the annual development and publication of official USDA estimates for 12 major field crop and livestock commodities. USDA’s commodity cost-and-return data product attracts tens of thousands of data views and downloads each year from a diverse audience including agricultural academics, extension, consultants, policy-makers, and producers, among others.
His team is responsible for commodity questionnaire and data development as part of USDA’s annual Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), he is a member of the ERS-NASS interagency ARMS steering committee, and is considered an expert on using the ARMS data. He recently served on an expert panel advising the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Statistics Division on a handbook for preparing commodity cost-of-production statistics in developing countries. Throughout his career he has advised representatives from developing countries, many in Eastern Europe, on the development and use of economic data about commodity CAR as part of projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Dr. McBride’s program of research has emphasized the farm adoption and impacts of new technologies, innovative production practices, and alternative business arrangements, including genetically modified crops, precision farming techniques, rbST, production contracts, antibiotics, and organic farming. His research regarding the U.S. hog industry is particularly in-depth, spanning nearly two decades. Results of his research have been published in a variety of outlets, including professional journals, ERS research reports, and in the ERS magazine Amber Waves. He is asked to review articles for a variety of agricultural journals, and has served on USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) panels allocating USDA research funding to institutions studying issues important to small and diverse farms.
Background
William grew up on a corn-soybean-hog farm in west central Indiana where he helped manage about 400 acres of cropland and about 100 sows in a farrow-to-finish operation. He financed much of his education from the earnings of a 20 cow, beef cow-calf enterprise.
Education
Ph.D. and M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Tennessee
B.S. in Farm and Business Management from Purdue University
Professional Affiliations
Member of the American and Southern Agricultural Economics Associations
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Key, N., and W.D. McBride. 2014. "Sub-therapeutic Antibiotics and the Efficiency of U.S. Hog Farms," American Journal of Agricultural Economics 96(3):831-50.
McBride, W.D., and C. Greene. 2009. "The Profitability of Organic Soybean Production," Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 24(4):276-284, December.
McBride, W.D., and C. Greene. 2009. "Costs of Organic Milk Production on U.S. Dairy Farms," Review of Agricultural Economics 31(4):793-813, Winter.
McBride, W.D., N. Key, and K. Mathews. 2008. "Sub-therapeutic Antibiotics and Productivity in U.S. Hog Production," Review of Agricultural Economics 30(2):270-88.
Key, N., W.D. McBride, and R. Mosheim. 2008. "Decomposition of Total Factor Productivity Change in the U.S. Hog Industry," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 40(1):137-149, April.
McBride, W.D., and J.D. Johnson. 2006. "Defining and Characterizing Approaches to Farm Management," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 38(1):155-167, April.
McBride, W.D., S. Short, and H. El-Osta. 2004. "The Adoption and Impact of Bovine Somatotropin on U.S. Dairy Farms," Review of Agricultural Economics 26(4):472-488.
Key, N., and W.D. McBride. 2003. "Production Contracts and Productivity in the U.S. Hog Sector," American Journal of Agricultural Economics 85(1):121-133, February.
Daberkow, S.G., and W.D. McBride. 2003. "Farm and Operator Characteristics Affecting the Awareness and Adoption of Precision Agriculture Technologies in the U.S.," Precision Agriculture 4(2):163-177.
McBride, W.D., and S.G. Daberkow. 2003. "Information and the Adoption of Precision Farming Technologies," Journal of Agribusiness 21(1):21-38, Spring.
McBride, W.D., and H. El-Osta. 2002. "Impacts of the Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops on Farm Financial Performance," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 34(1):175-191, April.
Fernandez-Cornejo, J., S. Daberkow, and W.D. McBride. 2001. "Decomposing the Size Effect on the Adoption of Innovations: Agrobiotechnology and Precision Agriculture," AgBioForum 4(2):124-136, November.
McBride, W.D., and N. Brooks. 2000. "Survey Evidence on Producer Use and Costs of Genetically Modified Seed," Agribusiness 16(1):6-20.
Daberkow, S.G., and W.D. McBride. 1998. "Socio-economic Profiles of Early Adopters of Precision Agricultural Technologies," Journal of Agribusiness 16(2):151-168, Fall.
USDA Publications
Meade, B., E. Puricelli, W.D. McBride, C. Valdes, L. Hoffman, L. Foreman, and E. Dohlman. 2016. Corn and Soybean Production Costs and Export Competitiveness in Argentina, Brazil, and the United States, EIB-154, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, June.
Meade, B., and W.D. McBride. 2016. “Production, Transportation, and Policy Factors Determine U.S. Export Competitiveness in World Corn and Soybean Markets,” Amber Waves, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, July.
McBride, W.D., and C. Greene. 2015. “Despite Profit Potential, Organic Field Crop Acreage Remains Low,” Amber Waves (feature), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, November.
McBride, W.D., and C. Taylor. 2015. "Price Premiums Behind Organic Field Crop Profitability," Amber Waves (infographic), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September.
McBride, W.D., C. Greene, L. Foreman, and M. Ali. 2015. The Profit Potential of Certified Organic Field Crop Production, ERR-188, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, July.
McBride, W.D., and N. Key. 2014. “Productivity Growth Slows for Specialized Hog Finishing Operations,” Amber Waves (feature), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, February.
McBride, W.D., and N. Key. 2013. U.S. Hog Production from 1992-2009: Technology, Restructuring, and Productivity Growth, ERR-158, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, October.
Key, N., W.D. McBride, M. Ribaudo, and S. Sneeringer. 2011. Trends and Developments in Hog Manure Management: 1998-2009, EIB-81, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September.
Sands, R., P. Westcott, M. Price, J. Beckman, E. Leibtag, G. Lucier, W.D. McBride, D. McGranahan, M. Morehart, E. Roeger, G. Schaible, and T. Wojan. 2011. Impacts of Higher Energy Prices on Agriculture and Rural Economics, ERR-123, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, August.
Foreman, L., and W.D. McBride. 2011. Policy Reform in the Tobacco Industry: Producers Adapt to a Changing Market, EIB-77, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, May.
McBride, W.D., and K. Mathews. 2011. The Diverse Structure and Organization of U.S. Beef Cow-Calf Farms, EIB-73, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, March.
Greene, C., E. Slattery, and W.D. McBride. 2010. "America's Organic Farmers Face Issues and Opportunities," Amber Waves (feature) 8(2):34-39, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, June.
McBride, W.D., and C. Greene. 2010. "Organic Dairy Sector Evolves to Meet Changing Demand," Amber Waves (feature) 8(1):28-33, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, March.
McBride, W.D., and C. Greene. 2009. Characteristics, Costs, and Issues with Organic Dairy Farming, ERR-82, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, November.
Greene, C., C. Dimitri, B.H. Lin, W.D. McBride, L. Oberholtzer, and T. Smith. 2009. Emerging Issues in the U.S. Organic Industry, EIB-55, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, June.
Key, N., W.D. McBride, and M. Ribaudo. 2009. Changes in Manure Management in the Hog Sector: 1998-2004, EIB-50, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, March.
Huang, W., W.D. McBride, and U. Vasavada. 2009. "Recent Volatility in U.S. Fertilizer Prices," Amber Waves (feature) 7(1):28-31, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, March.
MacDonald, J.M., and W.D. McBride. 2009. The Transformation of U.S. Livestock Agriculture: Scale, Efficiency, and Risks, EIB-43, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, January.
Key, N., and W.D. McBride. 2008. "Farm Size Behind Regional Differences in Hog Output and Productivity," Amber Waves (finding) 6(3), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, June.
Key, N., and W.D. McBride. 2008. "Technology, Larger Farm Size Increase Productivity on U.S. Hog Farms," Amber Waves (feature), 6(2):16-21, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, April.
Key, N., and W.D. McBride. 2007. The Changing Economics of U.S. Hog Production, ERR-52, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
McBride, W.D., and N. Key. 2007. Characteristics and Production Costs of U.S. Hog Farms, 2004, EIB-32, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, December.
MacDonald, J., W.D. McBride, and E. O'Donoghue. 2007. "Low Costs Drive Production to Large Dairy Farms," Amber Waves (feature) 5(4):30-35, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, November.
MacDonald, J., E. O'Donoghue, W.D. McBride, R. Nehring, C. Sandretto, and R. Mosheim. 2007. Profits, Costs, and the Changing Structure of Dairy Farming, ERR-47, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September.
Shoemaker, R., D. McGranahan, and W.D. McBride. 2006. "Agriculture and Rural Communities are Resilient to High Energy Costs," Amber Waves (feature) 4(2):16-21, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, April.
McBride, W.D. 2003. "Production Costs Critical to Farming Decisions," Amber Waves 1(4):38-45, September.
McBride, W.D., and N. Key. 2003. Economic and Structural Relationships in U.S. Hog Production, AER-818, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, February.
Fernandez-Cornejo, J., and W.D. McBride. 2002. The Adoption of Bioengineered Crops, AER-810, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, May.
Fernandez-Cornejo, J., and W.D. McBride. 2002. "Genetically Engineered Crops: U.S. Adoption and Impacts," Agriculture Outlook, September.
Fernandez-Cornejo, J., and W.D. McBride. 2000. Genetically Engineered Crops for Pest Management in U.S. Agriculture, AER-786, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, April.
Heimlich, R.E., J. Fernandez-Cornejo, W.D. McBride, C. Klotz-Ingram, S. Jans, and N. Brooks. 2000. "Genetically Engineered Crops: Has Adoption Reduced Pesticide Use?" Agricultural Outlook, August.
McBride, W.D. 1997. Change in U.S. Livestock Production, 1969-92, AER-754, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, July.
