Food economics represents the branch of applied economics that examines the production, distribution, exchange, and consumption of food within agricultural and food systems. It analyzes how economic incentives, market structures, consumer preferences, and institutional arrangements influence the allocation of resources, food prices, food availability, and nutritional outcomes across supply chains ^[1][2]. Integrating concepts from agricultural economics, industrial organization, and consumer economics, food economics investigates key issues including food demand, dietary choices, agricultural markets, food trade, supply chain efficiency, and the economic determinants of food security and nutrition ^[2][3]. Unlike general agricultural economics, which broadly covers resource allocation in agricultural production, food economics places particular emphasis on interactions between producers, firms, retailers, and consumers, as well as the economic consequences of changes in food environments and consumption patterns ^[1][3]. The field provides analytical frameworks for understanding the transformation of global food systems and evaluating policies aimed at improving market efficiency, sustainability, and equitable access to healthy diets ^[2].