David L. Ortega is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University. His research spans a wide range of topics in domestic and global agrifood systems, which inform food policy as well as agribusiness and marketing strategies. He has research experience in several developing and emerging countries, including China, India, Kenya, Malawi, and Rwanda. He has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Food Policy, World Development, and Trends in Food Science and Technology.

David has received research funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. He is adjunct faculty and visiting professor in the School of Public Affairs at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. David holds a Ph.D. and MS in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University and a BS in Food and Resource Economics from the University of Florida.