MSU launches new series exploring the intersection of food, economics and policy

The price of groceries remains a top concern for many Americans. A recent poll found that half of American adults said the cost of groceries is a “major” source of stress and an additional third indicating some level of stress. But what other factors are affecting the cost of your grocery bill?

Michigan State University’s David Ortega, the Noel W. Stuckman Chair in Food Economics and Policy at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has partnered to establish the Stuckman Lecture in Food, Economics and Policy to bring leading voices in food and applied economics to campus.

For the inaugural lecture, Ortega will be joined by NPR’s Chief Economics Correspondent Scott Horsley to discuss agricultural policy, global trade and consumer sentiment to understand the forces affecting your latest grocery trip.

“High food costs have become one of America’s most pressing kitchen-table concerns, yet the forces behind our grocery bills are often global, complex and misunderstood,” Ortega said. “This lecture series is about pulling back the curtain and bringing together trusted voices to demystify how food, economics and policy intersect — and to explore why these connections matter for families, consumers and producers alike.”

The lecture series aims to foster dialogue around global forces that shape food systems and markets. Members of the public are welcome and can bring questions for an audience Q&A period.

Date/time: Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Location/parking: Kellogg Center Auditorium (219 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing, Michigan, 48824). Parking is available in the adjacent Kellogg Center ramp.

Registration: Advance registration is required, but admission is free of charge. Given registration has filled up, you can sign up for the waitlist as more seats may open.

Media: If you are interested in covering the event, please email Jack Harrison.

Ortega is a leading expert on the forces and events that shape the agricultural and food sectors. He has been called upon to deliver testimony before federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Senate and House committees on agriculture, and provides frequent economic commentary to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, among other outlets.