Briefly
Maria is a Research Agricultural Economist in the Conservation and Environment Branch of the Resource and Rural Economics Division. She studies the economic and environmental impacts of conservation and soil health management in U.S. agriculture, including the costs and benefits of cover crop use for farmers and for society.
In her role as Conservation Liaison, she represents ERS’ conservation work to USDA and external stakeholders, and incorporates stakeholder priorities and feedback into the research process. She also leads ERS’ work developing public-facing information on the conservation title of the farm bill.
Maria’s previous research has considered the economics of antibiotic use in U.S. livestock operations, economic issues related to process-based/sustainability labeling, agricultural drivers of deforestation in Brazil, and the economics of smallholder agriculture and natural resource use in Brazil and Mozambique.
Selected Publications
Wood, S., and M. Bowman. 2021. "Large-Scale Farmer-Led Experiment Demonstrates Positive Impact of Cover Crops on Multiple Soil Health Indicators," Nature Food 2(2): 97–103.
Kuchler, F., M. Bowman, M. Sweitzer, and C. Greene. 2020. "Evidence from Retail Food Markets That Consumers Are Confused by Natural and Organic Food Labels," Journal of Consumer Policy 43(2):379-395.
Sneeringer, S., Short, G., MacLachlan, M., and M. Bowman. 2020. "Impacts on Livestock Producers and Veterinarians of FDA Policies on Use of Medically Important Antibiotics in Food Animal Production." Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 42(4):674–94.
Bowman, M., and L. Lynch. 2019. "Government Programs that Support Farmer Adoption of Soil Health Practices: A Focus on Maryland’s Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program," Choices 34(2), 2nd Quarter.
Bowman, M., K. Marshall, F. Kuchler, and L. Lynch. 2016. "Raised Without Antibiotics: Lessons from Voluntary Labeling of Antibiotic Use Practices in The Broiler Industry," American Journal of Agricultural Economics 98(2):622–42.
Bowman, M. 2016. "Impact of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Status on Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado Municipalities between 2000 and 2010," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 75:25–40.
Bowman, M., and D. Zilberman. 2013. "Economic Factors Affecting Diversified Farming Systems," Ecology and Society 18(1).
Bowman, M., Soares-Filho, B., Merry, F., Nepstad, D., Rodrigues, H., and O. Almeida. 2012. "Persistence of Cattle Ranching in the Brazilian Amazon: A Spatial Analysis of the Rationale for Beef Production," Land Use Policy 29(3): 558–68.
Nepstad, D., Soares-Filho, B., Merry, F., Lima, A., Moutinho, P., Carter, J., Bowman, M., Cattaneo, A., Rodrigues, H., Schwartzman, S., McGrath, D.G., Stickler, C.M., Lubowski, R., Piris-Cabezas, P., Rivero, S., Alencar, A., Almeida, O., and O. Stella. 2009. “The End of Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon,” Science 326:1350–1351.