Rate My Professor Yefan Nian

Dr. Yefan Nian serves as Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics in the Department of Agricultural Sciences at Clemson University, stationed at the Sandhill Research and Education Center in Columbia, South Carolina. He obtained his Ph.D. in Food and Resource Economics from the University of Florida in 2023, M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Arkansas in 2018, and dual B.S. degrees in Public Administration and Economics and Finance from South China University of Technology in 2013. Nian's research program centers on the sustainability of food systems, exploring how economic agents make decisions related to agricultural sustainability from production to consumption. His investigations apply behavioral economics to uncover market opportunities for sustainably produced and healthy foods, and to identify effective policies and extension strategies that encourage producers to adopt sustainable practices. Key areas include agricultural sustainability, consumer behavior, technology adoption, specialty crops, and food systems. He actively engages in outreach by developing economic decision-support tools and assessing the feasibility of sustainable agricultural innovations to improve both sustainability and profitability in food production.

Nian has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in prominent journals. Selected works include Wang, E., Nian, Y., & Gao, Z. (2025) 'Are authenticity tests in demand? Consumers' preferences for authenticity tests in the Chinese online food market' in Agribusiness; Nian, Y., Gao, Z., Nayga Jr, R. M., Zhao, Y., & Van Asselt, J. (2025) 'Trade-off between accuracy and cognitive burden' in Agricultural Economics; Nian, Y., Gao, Z., & Zhao, R. (2023) 'Are people’s daily life habits consistent with their preference for food sustainability labels?' in Agribusiness; and Van Asselt, J., Nian, Y., et al. (2022) 'Do plastic warning labels reduce consumers’ willingness to pay for plastic egg packaging?' in Ecological Economics. He has received grants such as a USDA Hatch Project on specialty crop sustainability (2024–2029) and a Specialty Crop Block Grant for rootstock grafting (2025–2027). Awards include the 2024 Farm Credit MarketMaker Innovation Award, 2022 Phillip L. Herndon Endowment, and 2018 Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the University of Arkansas. Nian contributes to the field through service on the editorial board of Journal of Integrative Agriculture (2023–2025), journal reviewing, graduate student advising, and guest lectures on sustainability and market valuation at Clemson University.