Dr. Syed Imran Ali Meerza, Arkansas Tech University assistant professor of agricultural economics, is part of two research teams that recently published research on overcoming malnutrition and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meerza was part of a team that examined malnutrition among women of reproductive age and children in developing countries. In particular, the researchers sought to learn if increased communication about the benefits of zinc-biofortified rice influenced consumer behavior among the malnourished populations.
According to the abstract published in the journal “Agricultural Economics,” results show that “consumers assign a significant premium to zinc-biofortified rice when they receive information about zinc-biofortified rice and its health benefits.”
Read more at https://arkansastechuniversity.on.worldcat.org/oclc/9993806692.
In a separate study published in the multidisciplinary journal “PLOS ONE,” Meerza and his fellow researchers examined how emotional stressors brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have affected decision making among the general public.
“Our results suggest that large-scale crises, like COVID-19 and climate change, may diminish action on other important health issues facing humanity,” wrote Meerza and his peers in the abstract.
Read more at https://arkansastechuniversity.on.worldcat.org/oclc/10009028164.
Meerza joined the ATU Department of Agriculture and Tourism faculty in 2019. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Khulna University, a master’s degree from South Dakota State University and a doctorate from the University of Nebraska.
Learn more about the ATU agriculture program at www.atu.edu/agriculture.
