Academic focus: Agricultural economics, environmental and natural resource economics, agricultural conservation policy, water quality, climate change
Research summary: I study how agricultural conservation programs and practices affect water quality, soil health and greenhouse gas emissions, and whether these programs are cost-effective for society. My research builds novel spatio-temporal datasets from disparate sources to conduct bio-economic modeling and econometric evaluation of the impacts of conservation programs and farm management practices on water quality and greenhouse gas emissions. I also study farmer decision-making under climate risk, the economics of ecosystem services from working lands, and how policies can be designed to better align private incentives with public policy goals.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I enjoy listening to and learning about bluegrass and folk music. I like spending as much time outdoors, surrounded by nature, as possible.
What brought you to Cornell CALS?
I have always admired the work of faculty here in my own discipline of agricultural economics, but far beyond this and spanning the agri-environmental spaces that I have worked on from nutrient management to livestock disease and climate science. When the Accelerating Livestock Innovations for Sustainability moonshot position was announced, I simply had to apply. I am even more excited to be here now than I was when a colleague forwarded me the job announcement saying, “This position sounds like you.”
What is an interesting fact about your field of study that you think everyone should know?
Markets are incredible things, but they are not perfect and do not function efficiently without managing costs (and possibly benefits) that can be externalized through production and consumption activities that are part of our everyday lives. Externalities are a fundamental concept in economics that are important for agriculture, health and safety, and the environment.
Why did you feel inspired to pursue a career in this field?
I grew up in Kentucky and studied natural resource conservation as an undergraduate before working in the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy. That experience showed me how economic incentives shape land management decisions with real consequences for food production, water, soil and air. I pursued graduate training in agricultural economics to develop the analytical tools and theoretical foundation needed to design policies that align what’s profitable for farmers with what’s good for the environment.
What advice do you have for students interested in your field of study?
In economics, you can learn as much observing the choices people make and the constraints they face as you do in the classroom. The most impactful research questions come from understanding real-world problems. Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to solving grand societal challenges, so learn to and practice communicating across disciplines. Every conversation with a farmer, neighbor, customer or subject matter expert is an opportunity to learn something new.
What are your current or future outreach/extension projects?
I am excited to be building a formal extension program for the first time in my career and to be working on livestock production systems again as part of the CALS moonshot. I hope to quickly identify an applied problem or need that my economic and policy expertise can help solve for New York agricultural producers. I am hoping to meet with as many different people and organizations as possible in my first weeks and months on campus and around New York state, to catalyze the development of my extension program.
Learn more about Ben from his lab website.
