I recently returned from Tahiti and Moorea in French Polynesia, where I attended a conference on Sustainable Island Health at the UC Berkeley Gump South Pacific Research Station. The meeting brought together scientists, policymakers, and local leaders to imagine how French Polynesia—one of the most stunning places on Earth—might become a global model of sustainable development […]
Building a Blue Bioeconomy in Paradise Read More »
The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ARE) at UC Berkeley has a glorious history. Among its illustrious alums is John Kenneth Galbraith (1908–2006), one of the twentieth century’s leading public intellectuals and economists. Another is Philip Habib, a distinguished diplomat who played a significant role in easing Cold War tensions. Lawrence Klein (1920–2013) won the Nobel Prize in
A comprehensive new textbook, Agricultural Economics and Policy, by David Zilberman, Ruiqing Miao, and Jian Rong (World Scientific). Over the past forty years, I have taught graduate courses in agricultural and resource economics. When I was a graduate student at Berkeley, no course in this area was offered. The faculty who had previously taught it had
Bridging Theory, Evidence, and Practice in Food, Resources, and Sustainability Read More »
Moshe Safdie is a master builder, a world leading architect who aims to address people’s social problems by designing buildings. I first met Moshe Safdie when we were recipients of the Wolf Prize. Safdie radiated the quiet authority of someone whose work speaks for itself, yet he was generous with his time and insights. He
“If Walls Could Speak” by Moshe Safdie -Architecture and Lessons for Economics Read More »
The circular bioeconomy aims to enhance the productivity of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries by optimizing the use of natural resources in these sectors. It emphasizes recycling residues and waste products to generate energy, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, while also enabling carbon sequestration. These efforts contribute significantly to the transition from non-renewable resources, such as petroleum, to
Traveling Across Europe on the Road to a Circular Bioeconomy Read More »
Late August and early September are always good times to travel. This year, I am in Europe, where I participated in the European Agricultural Economics conference in Bonn and then travelled for two days to discover Lisbon. The Conference in Bonn The good news that I learned this summer is that agricultural economics is alive
Working at Bonn and Playing at Lisbon Read More »
Most people in the developed world worry much more about “what is a good diet” or “how to enjoy food and lose weight”, rather than “will there be enough food?”. The abundance of food in the last two to three centuries is the result of scientific discoveries and resulting innovations (selective breeding, fertilizer, pesticide, tractors,
Richard was arguably the leading Ag economist in the world in last quarter of the 20th to early 21st century until his retirement. He was my dissertation advisor, and a life-long friend and collaborator. On July 30th, 2025, several of his students and colleagues assembled with Richard and his family to celebrate his career. It was an emotional
In Appreciation of Richard Just Read More »
Beahrs ELP and Rausser alumni Dear Berkeley, RCNR, and Beahrs ELP alumni, We are in the midst of an emergency. The BEAHRS Environmental Leadership Program, which brings environmental leaders from around the world to Berkeley every summer to acquire knowledge and leadership skills and build a global network in Berkeley, is under threat from immigration policies
Opportunity to Learn, Have Fun, and Support the BEAHRS ELP During this Tough Time Read More »
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point and The Revenge of the Tipping Point. Both books draw on and interpret a wide array of scientific papers, making them informative and engaging and valuable contributions to broader discourse beyond the academic literature. My work focuses on the economics of adoption and diffusion. Adoption and diffusion, from time