Research of the Food and Resource Economics Group focuses on applied and policy-relevant questions related to Climate Change, Wildlife, Agriculture, Trade and Food Security. Please contact the persons working in specific fields for further details on the research project.
Agriculture
Agriculture feeds our global population and fosters economic development. It is also one of the most polluting sectors of the global economy and is sensitive to environmental degradation, such as pollution and climate change. Our research explores the social and environmental determinants of agricultural productivity, including technologies like genetically modified crops, and climatic stressors like changes in temperature, sunlight, and water availability. We also study the environmental impacts of agriculture, including water and pesticide use, and how the structure of the global food system can modify such impacts.
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Climate Change
Climate change is one of the largest environmental challenges of the 21st century. Our research in this important arena includes policy design for mitigation, transition, and adaptation. We also analyze how climate change affects social and natural systems such as agriculture, health, and forests and the adaptation of such systems to climate change.
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Development
Poverty, agriculture, and natural resources are closely related. The global poor depend disproportionately on natural resources and agriculture for their income. At the same time, many natural resources, such as forests and biodiversity, are concentrated in areas with high levels of poverty. Development policies such as credit market development, property rights, and trade policies have, therefore, profound implications for the environment. Our research addresses questions about the relationship between economic development and the environment and how agricultural and environmental policies affect development outcomes.
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Remote Sensing
Satellite imagery provides a treasure trove of new data to understand our planet. Yet extracting useful information from unstructured imagery data is challenging. Our research develops and applies new algorithms to measure socio-environmental conditions on the ground — such as the Human Development Index, crop yields, or land cover. We also use, and study how to use, such measurement in policy analysis and scientific inference.
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Trade
Every day, billions of dollars of agricultural, resource, and manufactured goods move across borders. This global trade affects our communities and natural environments through myriad channels such as transport emissions, food security, job growth, knowledge dissemination, and industrial composition. Our researchers specialize in policy design and analysis, guiding industry and government to harness trade for the benefit of humans and the environment.
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Wildlife and Conservation
Biodiversity is on the decline globally, often driven by economic activities such as logging, agriculture, and fishing. At the same time, biodiversity provides important services for economic production, including pollination, natural pest control, and nutrient cycling. Biodiversity not only supports human activity, but it is also often in conflict with it. Human-wildlife conflict is a major problem in many developing countries and causes substantial damage to agricultural production and human health. We investigate the contribution of biodiversity to production, the determinants of human-wildlife conflict, and efficient policies for wildlife conservation.
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