Mechel Paggi

Mechel S. Paggi is the Director of the Institute for Food and Agriculture and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, California State University, Fresno. He coordinates the research activities of the center and conducts research and outreach programs dealing with a broad range of agricultural issues including agricultural policy, international trade and agricultural market analysis.

Dr. Paggi is the author of numerous journal articles and professional papers on agricultural trade and policy and has received awards from the American Agricultural Economics Association for his part in group quality of communication in public policy education and group extension programming in the area of farm policy.

Prior to beginning his current position in January 2002, Dr. Paggi held positions in Washington, DC as Principal Analyst for Agriculture at the Congressional Budget Office and served as the Executive Director of the congressionally mandated Commission on 21st Century Agriculture. From 1995-1998, Dr. Paggi served as Senior Economist at the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy. From 1988- 1995, Dr. Paggi was a Senior Economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation where he spent much of the period working on international trade negotiations and assisting in oversea market development and education programs with the American Farm Bureau's International Trade Committee. From 1982-1988, Dr. Paggi was an Assistant Professor for Research and Extension at Texas A&M University working primarily in the areas of international trade and transportation.

 He received a bachelor s degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin, a master s degree in Economics from the University of North Texas and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University