Agriculture · Food security · Agricultural economics
50 agriculture and food security research topics across hunger, food access, climate, adoption, inputs, yields, markets, consumers, farm policy and farm labour. Each one comes with a study design, a method, a free dataset and a real thesis on something similar.
50 Research questions
10 Sub-fields
13 Free datasets
5 Universities cited
2018 to 2026 Thesis years
By Siddharth Gupta · Updated November 2026
Most agriculture students plan a farmer survey or a one-season field trial for their dissertation. Then the weather or the sample size lets them down.
In my 12 years of helping economics and science students, the strongest agriculture dissertations used public yield, price and household data. These datasets cover decades and whole countries.
Every topic below comes with three things.
A study design that fits the question The method your supervisor will expect A suggested dataset with its access requirements Each topic is also paired with a real agriculture, food or nutrition thesis from a university repository. Many study the same crop, input or policy.
How to use this list Pick the area that matches your course, crop or country. Choose two or three topics that fit your skills. Open the dataset and check it covers your region and years. Read the sample thesis. Look at which model it used. Take your shortlist to your supervisor, or to me on a free call. Jump to a sub-field Food security and hunger Food access and local food systems Climate change and agriculture Technology adoption on farms Water, fertiliser and farm inputs Crop production and yields Agricultural markets, prices and trade Consumers, GM crops and food choice Farm finance, risk and policy Nutrition, farm labour and health Agriculture research area 01 / 10
Food security and hunger Food security topics matter in every country. These use national food security surveys and early warning data.
TOPIC 01 Which US households use food pantries, and who misses out? Study design Repeated cross-section Statistical method Logistic regression on pantry use Suggested datasets USDA ERS Food Security Data (CPS Supplement) Open TOPIC 02 Are young adults more food insecure than older adults with the same income? Study design Repeated cross-section Statistical method Logistic regression with survey weights Suggested datasets USDA ERS Food Security Data (CPS Supplement) Open TOPIC 03 What keeps cash-crop farming households in poverty? Study design Household panel Statistical method Panel regression on consumption Suggested datasets World Bank LSMS Surveys Free login TOPIC 04 Does women’s decision-making power improve child nutrition in farm households? Study design Cross-sectional survey Statistical method Multilevel regression on child height-for-age Suggested datasets DHS Program Data, with NFHS India Apply TOPIC 05 Do rice price spikes push Haiti into food crisis phases? Study design Monthly panel Statistical method Ordered logistic regression on crisis phase Suggested datasets FEWS NET Food Security Data Open PDF details
Agriculture research area 02 / 10
Food access and local food systems Food access topics map where healthy food is hard to reach. The Food Access Research Atlas covers every US census tract.
TOPIC 06 Which low-income tracts are furthest from a supermarket? Study design Census tract data Statistical method Spatial analysis with hot spot mapping Suggested datasets USDA Food Access Research Atlas Open TOPIC 07 Are rural food deserts growing as small grocers close? Study design Census tract panel Statistical method Regression on change in low-access status Suggested datasets USDA Food Access Research Atlas Open TOPIC 08 Do food deserts overlap with high poverty and low car ownership? Study design Census tract data Statistical method Logistic regression on low-access status Suggested datasets USDA Food Access Research Atlas Open TOPIC 09 Are majority Black neighbourhoods more likely to be food deserts? Study design Census tract data Statistical method Logistic regression with income controls Suggested datasets USDA Food Access Research Atlas Open TOPIC 10 Which farms sell directly to consumers, and has it grown? Study design Census of Agriculture Statistical method Regression on direct sales by county Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open PDF details
Agriculture research area 03 / 10
Climate change and agriculture Climate topics are the fastest-growing area in agricultural research. These link weather and emissions data to farm outcomes.
TOPIC 11 How do climate shocks in Asia move world rice prices? Study design Country panel Statistical method Spatial equilibrium model with yield shocks Suggested datasets FAOSTAT Open TOPIC 12 Do cover crops protect yields in drought years? Study design County panel Statistical method Fixed effects regression with drought interaction Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 13 Which countries cut farm emissions per tonne of output fastest? Study design Country panel Statistical method Trend analysis of emission intensity Suggested datasets FAOSTAT Open TOPIC 14 Which smallholders adopt climate-smart practices? Study design Household panel Statistical method Multivariate probit on practice adoption Suggested datasets World Bank LSMS Surveys Free login TOPIC 15 How much do droughts cut pulse yields in Indian districts? Study design District panel Statistical method Fixed effects regression on rainfall deficits Suggested datasets ICRISAT District Level Database (India) Free login PDF details
Agriculture research area 04 / 10
Technology adoption on farms Adoption topics ask why some farmers try new methods and others do not. They suit agricultural economics students.
TOPIC 16 Does certified seed raise smallholder yields? Study design Plot-level panel Statistical method Propensity score matching on yields Suggested datasets World Bank LSMS Surveys Free login TOPIC 17 Do conservation payments raise cover crop acres? Study design County panel Statistical method Difference-in-differences on cover crop share Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 18 Do cover crops raise or lower corn and soybean yields? Study design County panel Statistical method Quantile regression on yields Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 19 Which irrigation methods are spreading fastest? Study design State panel Statistical method Trend analysis of irrigation survey data Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 20 Do farmer group members adopt irrigation more often? Study design Household panel Statistical method Logistic regression with group membership Suggested datasets World Bank LSMS Surveys Free login PDF details
Agriculture research area 06 / 10
Crop production and yields Yield topics suit students with agronomy or data science skills. County and country yield data go back decades.
TOPIC 26 What explains the rise in mid-South corn yields? Study design County panel Statistical method Regression on planting date and weather Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 27 Do organic yields fall more than conventional yields in bad weather? Study design State panel Statistical method Regression with weather interactions Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 28 Have maize yields in South Africa grown faster than in its neighbours? Study design Country panel Statistical method Trend comparison with structural breaks Suggested datasets FAOSTAT Open TOPIC 29 How much rice is lost between harvest and market? Study design State panel Statistical method Descriptive analysis of harvest and sales Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 30 Has pesticide use per hectare fallen in high-income countries? Study design Country panel Statistical method Trend analysis by income group Suggested datasets FAOSTAT Open PDF details
Agriculture research area 07 / 10
Agricultural markets, prices and trade Market topics suit economics students. Commodity data is free, long and monthly.
TOPIC 31 What drives US wheat prices, stocks or exports? Study design Monthly time series Statistical method Regression on stocks-to-use ratios Suggested datasets USDA WASDE Reports Open + FRED Open TOPIC 32 How much of the world coffee price reaches growers? Study design Country panel Statistical method Price transmission model Suggested datasets FAOSTAT Open + FRED Open TOPIC 33 Do rice prices in African markets follow world prices? Study design Monthly market panel Statistical method Error correction model Suggested datasets FEWS NET Food Security Data Open + FRED Open TOPIC 34 Why do some dairy farmers sell to markets and others do not? Study design Household survey Statistical method Double hurdle model Suggested datasets World Bank LSMS Surveys Free login TOPIC 35 Has local beef processing kept up with cattle numbers? Study design State panel Statistical method Trend analysis of slaughter and inventory Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open PDF details
Agriculture research area 08 / 10
Consumers, GM crops and food choice Consumer topics link farms to plates. National surveys show how people judge new food technology.
TOPIC 36 Who accepts gene-edited foods, and does trust in science matter? Study design Cross-sectional survey Statistical method Logistic regression on acceptance Suggested datasets Pew Research Center Datasets Free login TOPIC 37 Do views on GM food labels split by age and education? Study design Cross-sectional survey Statistical method Ordinal logistic regression Suggested datasets Pew Research Center Datasets Free login TOPIC 38 Did GM maize adoption change South African yield growth? Study design Country panel Statistical method Synthetic control with neighbouring countries Suggested datasets FAOSTAT Open TOPIC 39 Is rice consumption per person rising in Latin America? Study design Country panel Statistical method Trend analysis of food balance sheets Suggested datasets FAOSTAT Open TOPIC 40 Did food-at-home spending stay higher after COVID-19? Study design Monthly time series Statistical method Interrupted time series Suggested datasets FRED Open PDF details
Agriculture research area 09 / 10
Farm finance, risk and policy Policy topics study who gets support and who carries risk. Farm data is public at county level.
TOPIC 41 Do farm loans default more when interest rates rise? Study design Quarterly time series Statistical method Regression of delinquency on interest rates Suggested datasets FRED Open TOPIC 42 Do socially disadvantaged producers run smaller, lower-income farms? Study design Census of Agriculture Statistical method Regression on farm sales by producer group Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 43 Which counties receive the most government farm payments? Study design Census of Agriculture Statistical method Regression on payments per farm Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 44 Are farmland values rising faster in some states? Study design State panel Statistical method Panel regression on land values Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 45 How do rainfall extremes change crop yield risk in Kentucky? Study design County panel Statistical method Yield distribution model with rainfall shocks Suggested datasets CHIRPS Rainfall (UCSB Climate Hazards Center) Open + USDA NASS Quick Stats Open PDF details
Agriculture research area 10 / 10
Nutrition, farm labour and health Agriculture shapes health through diets, jobs and chemicals. These topics link farm and food data to people.
TOPIC 46 Does SNAP lower very low food security? Study design Repeated cross-section Statistical method Propensity score matching on SNAP receipt Suggested datasets USDA ERS Food Security Data (CPS Supplement) Open TOPIC 47 Do food insecure households spend less on fruit and vegetables? Study design Repeated cross-section Statistical method Regression on food spending Suggested datasets USDA ERS Food Security Data (CPS Supplement) Open TOPIC 48 Have farm wages risen as hired labour has grown scarce? Study design State panel Statistical method Trend analysis of farm labour data Suggested datasets USDA NASS Quick Stats Open TOPIC 49 Are women a growing share of farm workers worldwide? Study design Country panel Statistical method Trend analysis by region Suggested datasets World Bank WDI Open TOPIC 50 Which countries use the most pesticide per hectare of cropland? Study design Country panel Statistical method Regression on pesticide intensity Suggested datasets FAOSTAT Open PDF details
Free agriculture and food security datasets Open sources are available without an account. Free login requires an account. Apply means access requires approval.
Crop production, yields, prices, trade, fertiliser, pesticide and emissions data for every country since 1961. Use it for global agriculture, trade and food supply topics.
Crop area, yield, irrigation, fertiliser and rainfall for Indian districts since 1966. Use it for Indian agriculture, drought and input use topics.
Household surveys in 90+ countries with child nutrition, women’s decision making and farm household data. Use it for nutrition, gender and rural household topics.
US crop yields, prices, land values, irrigation, labour and Census of Agriculture data by county. Use it for US farm production, adoption and policy topics.
Yearly US household food security, SNAP use and food spending from the CPS supplement. Use it for US food insecurity and food assistance topics.
Census tract data on distance to supermarkets, income and vehicle access. Use it for food desert and food access topics.
Household and farm plot surveys in Africa, Asia and Central Asia with crops, inputs and income. Use it for smallholder adoption, market and poverty topics.
Daily rainfall estimates at 5 km resolution from 1981 to now. Use it to add weather shocks to any farm or food topic.
Food insecurity classifications and staple food prices for about 30 food-insecure countries. Use it for famine risk, food crisis and market price topics.
Global commodity prices, fertiliser prices, food spending and farm debt series. Use it for price, spending and farm finance topics.
Country data on agricultural jobs, land, yields, rural poverty and undernourishment. Use it for cross-country agriculture and development topics.
Monthly world supply and demand estimates for grains, oilseeds and livestock. Use it for commodity market and price forecasting topics.
US surveys on science and food, including views on GM foods and gene editing. Use it for consumer attitudes to food technology topics.
Printable agriculture dissertation guide
Get all 50 topics in one PDF The guide will bring together the questions, study designs, methods and dataset links.
PDF download coming soon How to turn one of these into your own topic Pick one outcome. Yield, price, adoption or food security works better than several.Add weather data. Rainfall and temperature explain a lot of farm outcomes.Use fixed effects for panels. They remove soil and location differences.Check units carefully. Tonnes, bushels and hectares mix easily.End with policy advice. Agriculture examiners expect a clear message for farmers or governments.Need a second pair of eyes?
Choose an agriculture research question your data can answer. Bring your shortlist, potential datasets and proposed analytical methods to a free 15-minute consultation about scope, feasibility and methodology.
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