Research

Research Interest

My research focuses broadly on International and Development Economics, with specific interests in international trade, economic sanctions, economic integration, energy and environment, international development, and food and agriculture. I have dedicated my research to examining the effectiveness of regional trade agreements (RTAs) and their potential to promote trade and development for member countries. This research is particularly significant as RTAs grow exponentially among developing and developed nations.

Additionally, my work delves into economic sanctions and their unintended consequences on various economic aspects, including income inequality, food security, and trade. This knowledge is especially pertinent in light of the escalating use of sanctions in foreign and diplomatic contexts.

Another significant facet of my research is the examination of globalization and urbanization and their impact on the environment. The accelerating pace of globalization and its implications for the environment has emerged as a critical global and policy concern.

If you are interested in collaborating or seeking advice in any of these areas, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Google Scholar Citations

A. Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

1. Afesorgbor, S.K., Martey, E., and Aheto, J.M. (2024). The effects of local economic development on female obesity (overweight) in sub-Saharan Africa, Review of Development Economics.

2. Afesorgbor, S.K., Fiankor, D.D.D, and Demena, B.A (2024). Do regional trade agreements affect agri-food trade? Evidence from a meta-analysis, Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 46(2), 737-759.

3. Afesorgbor, S.K. and Lim, S. (2023). Food Security, Agri-Food Trade, and COVID-19: Evidence from South Asia, Journal of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, 2, 653-667.

4. Afesorgbor, S.K., Acquah, R.E., and Ayele, Y. (2023). Chinese import competition and gender labor market outcomes: Evidence from Ethiopian firm-level data, Journal of African Economies, 32 (5), 547-571.

5. Afesorgbor, S.K. and Demena, B. A. (2022). Trade openness and environmental emissions: Evidence from a meta-analysis.  Environmental and Resource Economics, 81 (2), 287-321

6. Afesorgbor, S.K. and Beaulieu, E. (2021). Role of international politics on agri-food trade: Evidence from US-Canada relations, Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 69(1), 27-35.

7. Demena, B. A. and Afesorgbor, S.K. (2020). The effect of FDI on the environment. Evidence from a meta-analysis. Energy Policy, 138, 1-17.

8. Sakyi, D. and Afesorgbor, S.K. (2019). The effect of trade facilitation on trade performance in Africa. Journal of African Trade, 6(1-2), 1-15.

9. Afesorgbor, S.K. (2019). Regional integration, bilateral diplomacy and African trade: Evidence from the Gravity Model, African Development Review, 31(4), 492-505. (Adjudged the second-best paper at the African Economic Conference, 2018)

10.  Afesorgbor, S.K. (2019). The impact of economic sanctions on international trade: How do threatened sanctions compare with imposed sanctions? European Journal of Political Economy, 56,11-26.

11.   Afesorgbor, S.K. (2017). Regionalism in Africa: Genealogies, Institutions, and Trans-State Networks by Daniel C. Bach, London: Routledge, 2015. Pp. 216. Book review, Journal of Modern African Studies, 55(3),511-512.

12. Afesorgbor, S.K. (2017). Revisiting the effect of regional integration on African trade: Evidence from meta-analysis and gravity model, Journal of International Trade and Economic Development, 26 (2), 133-153. (Link to working paper) 

13.  Afesorgbor, S.K. and Mahadevan, R. (2016). The impact of economic sanctions on income inequality of target states. World Development, 83, 1-11.  (Link to working paper)   

14.  Afesorgbor, S.K. and van Bergeijk, P. (2014). Measuring multi-membership in economic integration and its trade impact: A comparative study of ECOWAS and SADC. South African Journal of Economics, 82(4), 518-530. 

B. Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters

15. Afesorgbor, S. K., van Bergeijk, P., and Demena, B. A. (2022) COVID-19 and the threat to globalization: An optimistic note. In COVID-19 and International Development, pp.29-44, Springer, edited by Elissaios Papyrakis. 

16. Afesorgbor, S.K. (2022). Preferential market access, foreign aid, and economic development. In Trade and Investment in East Africa - Prospects, Challenges, and Pathways to Sustainability, pp.41-61, Springer 

17.  Afesorgbor, S.K. (2021).  Sanctioned to starve? The Impact of economic sanctions on food security in targeted states. In Research Handbook of Economic Sanctions, pp. 438-466, Edward Elgar, UK, edited by Peter Bergeijk

18. Afesorgbor, S.K. (2018). Economic Diplomacy in Africa: The impact of Regional Integration versus Bilateral Diplomacy on Bilateral Trade. In Research Handbook of Economic Diplomacy. Peter van Bergeijk and Selwyn Moons (editors), Edward Elgar Publishing, UK.

C. Working Papers

1. Free trade agreements and the survival of Canadian agri-food exports (with Kimmerer, C., Hailu, G., under review) 

2. Assessing the effect of different Canadian FTAs on agri-food trade (with McDougall, B., under review)

3. The effect of remittances on financial development. Evidence from a meta-analysis (with Anwar, A. under review)

4. Aid, inequality, and regime change revisited (with Bjørnskov. C.)

D. Work-in-Progress

1. Do economic sanctions reduce food (aid) assistance? (with J. Atsu Amegashie)

2. The impact of economic sanctions on food (prices) security in targeted countries (with, Santeramo, F.G & Kornher, L.)

3. The effect of urbanization on environmental emissions. Evidence from a meta-analysis (with Binyam A. Demena)

4. The effect of cannabis legalization on use and supply. Evidence from Canada’s input-output tables (with Fosu, F. & Henson, S.)

5. The effect of global value chains on international competitiveness. Evidence from Africa (with Lim, S. & Fiankor, D.D.D)

E. Policy Briefs /Other Publications

1. Economic development in sub-Saharan Africa is linked to increasing obesity rates in women. Published by The Conversation Africa on June 9, 2024

2. Ghana wants to make importing food like rice and tomatoes more costly: expert explains why it’s a bad idea. Published by The Conversation Africa on January 22, 2024

3. Chinese imports could undermine Ethiopian manufacturing - leaving women workers worst off. Published by The Conversation Africa on January 11, 2023

4. Economic sanctions will hurt Russians long before they stop Putin's war on Ukraine. Published by The Conversation Canada on 1st March 2022

5. What the Ambassador Bridge and other freedom convoy blockades mean for Canada-US trade. Published by The Conversation Canada on 13 February 2022

6. COVID-19 has shone a light on how globalization can tackle the disease of inequality. Published by The Conversation Canada on 16 June 2021

7. How free trade agreements can boost the presence of Canadian agri-food products in the global market. Published by The Hill Times on 23rd March 2020.

8. China’s ban on Canadian meat imports could pummel our agri-food sector. Published in The Conversation Canada on 27 June 2019

9. The major trade implications of the Canada-Saudi Arabia spat. Published in  The Conversation Canada on 14th August 2018

10. Economic sanctions and food security. FARE Share Issue 21 -Summer 2018 Newsletter

11. Globalization may actually be better for the environment. Published in The Conversation Canada on 24th April 2018

12. What if Trump kills NAFTA? Remedies for Canada and Mexico. Published in The Conversation Canada on 6th February 2018.

13. Facilitating Trade in ECOWAS Insights from the ITC Business Surveys on Non-tariff measures. Project was commissioned and funded by the African Development Bank

14. Can Ghana copy and implement the industrial policy of South Korea successfully? Center for Trade Analysis and Development  (CETAD Africa) Working Paper