Feeding the world is an ambitious passion, but it’s one that Lanier Nalley tackles head-on through his research on rice production. 

In this month’s Short Talks from the Hill, Nalley, a professor and department head for Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, discusses his work involving rice production and food insecurity and how that impacts Arkansas and other populations around the world. 

“Arkansas is the largest rice producer in the U.S., and approximately 40 percent of our rice is exported abroad,” Nalley states. “So, what I really focus on is increasing revenue for Arkansas producers and simultaneously trying to feed the world in doing that.”

Nalley frequently works alongside students on this research, testing whether people in certain populations view all genetically modified traits the same way or whether there’s a market for low glycemic index rice. And he shares where some of these students often work after graduation. 

“We’re training them in such a manner that they’re in demand, which is very rewarding both as a researcher and a teacher,” Nalley says in the podcast. 

Listeners can find Nalley’s podcast through the link above or by visiting arkansasresearch.uark.edu, the home of research and economic development news at the U of A. In addition to being a faculty member and department head, Nalley is also a researcher with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

Short Talks programming is available wherever you get your podcasts. Previous podcasts can be found at arkansasresearch.uark.edu. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.