Jonathan Coppess

Dr. Jonathan Coppess is the Leonard and Lila Gardner Illinois Farm Bureau Family of Companies Endowed Associate Professor in Agricultural Policy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As Director of the Gardner Agriculture Policy Program, his research examines federal agricultural policy including farm support programs, risk management, conservation, and biofuels. Coppess bridges academic research and policymaking through extension publications and legislative consultation.

Research analyzes historical development and contemporary implementation of farm bill programs. Recent work focuses on commodity title reforms, safety net design, conservation tradeoffs, and ad hoc disaster assistance. Publications demonstrate expertise in legislative history, program evaluation, and policy alternatives analysis.

Prior to academia, Coppess served as Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, playing a lead role in the 2014 Farm Bill development. This experience informs his scholarly work on policy design and legislative processes.