Dr. Jean Buzby has worked either directly or indirectly for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) for over 20 years. Prior to moving into management, her primary areas of work as an economist at ERS were food safety and food consumption research. Jean's food safety research included estimating the costs of foodborne illness, analyzing the legal incentives for firms to produce safer food, and exploring international trade and food safety issues. Her food consumption research was primarily centered on using information gleaned from the Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System. For over a decade, she has also conducted research on postharvest food loss in the United States and she continues to estimate the amount and value of food loss at the retail and consumer levels in the United States, using data from ERS's Loss-Adjusted Food Availability Data Series. Prior to joining ERS, Dr. Buzby received her Master’s degree and PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Kentucky.
Food Tank recently had the opportunity to speak with Jean Buzby, from ERS’s Food Economics Division, who was one of the speakers at the 2015 Food Tank Summit.
