Dr. Mohammad Ali
Dr. Mohammad Ali is currently Professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), Princess Anne, School of Business and Technology. Dr. Ali is an agricultural economist with expertise in international trade & business, environmental economics, natural resource management & business practices, production & farm management, agribusiness & food supply, managerial economics and business decisions, global competitiveness, economic growth & development for business environment, small entrepreneurship, microcredit & social business, consumer behavior and market principle, welfare economics and business. His previous experience in citrus research dates back his M.S. thesis on “An Economic Model for Evaluating the Impact of Prohibiting the Use of Copper in Grapefruit Production of Florida” as well as his Ph.D. dissertation on “Estimating Import demand for Fresh Tomatoes into the United States and the European Union”. His current research involvement includes projects on “Organic Crop Management on Delmarva for Selected Specialty Crops” and “Impacts of Soil and Crop Management Practice on Fresh Produce Safety and Quality”. He was also part of other research grants on “Food Safety Risk for Leafy Greens and Tomatoes from Small Farm Environments Exposed to Manure Dust, Soil Amendments, Insects, and Creek Water” and “Building Curriculum and Experiential Learning in Sustainable Agriculture to Enhance Students’ Communication and Problem-Solving Skills” as well as “Performance Analysis of Three Sustainable, Green Technologies for Delmarva Broiler Production”. He has been teaching various courses as full-time faculty since 2007 and developed new courses both at graduate and undergraduate levels including Risk and Decision Analysis in Natural Resource Management. He is a coach of the ongoing UMES Federal Reserve Challenge Team. He spent 13 years in the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh and served the Central Bank of Bangladesh for about 6 years. He was also a serious freedom fighter in the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. Dr. Ali is involved in various committees as chair and/or member at local, regional, national, and international levels.
Why did you become a member of the International Atlantic Economic Society?
Because, it is directly related to my academic discipline (Economics, Business Administration as well as Food & Resource Economics). As far as I remember, I joined the International Atlantic Economic Society (IAES) in 2012/2013. I learned about the IAES from an online search. I have been a member of the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA) since 1999 and I was looking for other related associations to be involved with. Thus, I joined the IAES. I enjoy the IAES conferences and serving as a Best Undergraduate Paper Award Judge, selecting the best undergraduate papers. I have been involved in this selection process as a panel judge, sometimes in the first panel, and sometimes in the second panel, interacting with Dr. Gary Clayton. Working with the IAES this way adds credit to the professional service component of my academic career and I feel proud of it at the same time.
What types of projects/research are you currently working on and what inspired/motivated you to pursue these interests?
At this point, I am involved in research projects that deal with Organic Specialty Crop Management on Delmarva for Optimized Plant Development and Pest Control; Impacts of Soil and Crop Management Practice on Fresh Produce Safety and Quality. These are the projects undertaken by the professors (PIs) in the Department of Agriculture at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). As an agricultural economist, I am involved as a Co-PI and Collaborator to examine the economic aspect of these projects. Data come from the experimental farm over the years on organic and traditional tomatoes as well leafy greens. At this point, I am working on the three-year data (production and cost) from a closed project to prepare a conference presentation and ultimately a journal publication of an economics paper. The agricultural scientists of the project are working on a scientific paper.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering entering your line of work/field of study?
One should have patience because basic research takes a long time to generate data. It needs its own data from field or survey work. One must look at real life situations to ensure community development aiming at overall economic progress. As part of collaborative research project with the agricultural scientists working to improve agricultural farming around the Eastern Shore (Delmarva Peninsula), I use data generated through an on-field experiment over a period of 3 to 5 years. Previously, I used such data on organic tomatoes and poultry production and published two journal articles. In fact, we have a very effective collaboration.
Going forward, what other projects/research are you planning to or hoping to pursue?
I am considering two other projects on Aquaponics Food Safety, Nutrition, and the Sustainability Decision-Making Framework and Population Dynamics and Control of Pathogenic Vibrio Bacteria in Oysters and Water in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The aquaponics project’s overall goal is to provide producers with digitally accessible guidance and solutions to production, food safety, plant health and nutrition challenges and opportunities to enhance aquaponics food production and quality. We will develop and launch a science-based decision tool to guide current and prospective aquaponics producers in customizing their operations to meet sustainable production, food safety practices that align with market and consumer expectations for fresh produce nutrition and quality. I am involved to develop a business plan and/or marketing plan for the producers. In fact, this project is not yet funded. The same situation exists for the Oyster project whose overall goal is to investigate the population dynamics and control of pathogenic bacteria in oysters and water in the Mid-Atlantic region to enhance aquaculture, seafood safety and water quality research, education and outreach.
What’s your favorite hobby?
Gardening: Growing fruits and vegetables as well as flowers. Gardening became my hobby from my very childhood. My father was an agricultural extension officer who had a passion for gardening and most probably, I got this from him. I enjoy it so much that sometimes, I feel like I can understand the plants growing and their needs. Almost every day I observe them, and take care of them as needed. It is also a sort of regular exercise for me except in the winter season when I cannot work outside. My other hobbies include listening to music, watching movies, reading, and playing musical instrument (Indian Tabla).