Shawn Arita is an Associate Professor at North Dakota State University and the Associate Director of the Agricultural Risk Policy Center. At the Agricultural Policy Risk Center, Shawn direct research teams in global commodity markets, trade disruptions, and risk management and leads policy outreach and DC engagement with Federal, Congressional, and industry stakeholders—ensuring direct communication of agricultural policy economic analysis and research. His work bridges rigorous academic research with practical policy implementation, translating complex analyses into actionable insights for decision-makers across government and industry.
Before joining NDSU, Shawn served as Senior Economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Chief Economist, where he conducted economic analysis surrounding global commodity markets, trade policy, agricultural supply disruptions, input costs, and farm safety net. At USDA he led key modelling and economic analyses for various USDA programs, including the Market Facilitation Program (2018 Trade Aid Package), CFAP, and others. Additionally, Shawn provided model-based assessments for WTO trade dispute arbitration and evaluations of agricultural markets under trade agreements. He was recognized as USDA’s Economist of the Year for his work on the supply disruptions on U.S. agriculture, and his economic analyses have also informed White House offices. Shawn previously served with the U.S. Trade Representative and, prior to that, was a research economist at the Economic Research Service. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and policy briefs on areas of agricultural markets, trade, and ag policy.