Research Portfolio
Drawing on mixed methods research and spatial analysis, my work addresses critical issues in migration and mobility, economic and agricultural development, trade, and food systems.
The American broiler chicken industry, buoyed by subsidized maize and soy inputs, has enjoyed growth for decades despite economic downturns, Avian Influenza outbreaks, and saturation of the domestic market for chicken. Much of this sustained growth has been in overseas markets, especially in China, the Caribbean, and Africa.
2022 - Present
Transnational Poultry:
The limits of global protein provisioning in The Gambia
Vertically-integrated firms, or "integrators" like Tyson, Koch, Pilgrims, and Perdue, now rely on export markets for as much as 20% of their gross income annually, and this number is set to grow. African countries, in particular, are now prime growth markets due to population growth, urbanization, and the industry's proximity to the strategic Port of Savannah.
The Gambia is one such growth market for American poultry. The small West-African nation imports chicken leg quarters from the United States at increasing rates. The leg quarters are now among the cheapest and most widely available sources of protein in urban areas.
Since 2001, imports of chicken leg quarters from the United States have increased rapidly. Population growth and rising incomes explain some of this, but political and economic changes, fishery decline, and exposure to global markets now make other sources of protein unaffordable or inaccessible to many urban Gambians. "We have no choice but to eat this chicken", one survey respondent said.
Deeply dissatisfied with imported poultry products, a majority of survey and interview respondents cited lack of flavor, health concerns, suspicion of halal certification and preference for local products as reasons they would prefer not to eat American chicken.
Other countries in the region, such as Senegal, have banned imported poultry as part of policies to protect farmers and encourage economic growth. The Gambia attempted to ban American poultry in 2013, but intervention by the U.S.A. Egg and Export Council quickly restored trade. Gambian farmers struggle to compete with imported chicken, which sells for approximately $1.79 per kilogram.
American poultry only forecasts increased consumption in West Africa, yet Gambians are losing their appetite for imported chicken. As urban populations continue to grow, and the demand for inexpensive protein follows, will America's poultry empire continue to feed the world? Or are we beginning to see the limits of global protein supply chains?
This project is ongoing. Check back here for more insight and analysis soon.
2018 - 2020
Migration Management and Development in The Gambia
An in-depth analysis of the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) migrant returnee and reintegration programs in The Gambia. Research included interviews with migrants, returnees, migration experts, and government officials.
Findings included severe issues with the delivery of training and funding for reintegration packages to returnees, and an increasing interest on the part of the Gambian Government to use its migrant population as an income strategy.
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Recommendations from this project led to changes in IOM's West African Migration Public Information Campaign structure.
2012 - 2014
Dallas/Fort Worth Local Food Systems
A mixed methods project analyzing the spatial and social organization of farmers' markets in the greater DFW area. Utilized interview and GIS methodologies to map the growing demand for farmers' markets, local food, and a sense of community in suburban areas.
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Utilized "foodshed" mapping to determine the distance producers traveled to sell their products, and "marketshed" analysis to determine how far producers traveled to reach a market.
