Modern society is currently facing a cascade of environmental crises. Moving forward, it will be the job of current and future generations to develop sound and creative approaches to addressing them. This book attempts to provide insight into the ways in which society can confront modern agricultural, environmental, and resource challenges. In particular, it provides an economic lens with which to examine and confront these issues. The first part of the book introduces a general economic framework that can be used to analyze these issues. Subsequent chapters rely on this framework to introduce and explain specific concepts in agricultural, environmental, and resource economics, including (but not limited to) non-renewable and renewable resource management, pesticide use, and climate change. The book develops quantitative tools that the readership can use to analyze and better understand the complexities of these challenges. Each chapter includes specific applications, and an accompanying Appendix includes a longer list of practice problems that can be brought into courses as exercises.
Scott Kaplan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the United States Naval Academy. Dr Kaplan is an applied microeconomist who has published several peer-reviewed articles in the fields of agricultural economics, environmental economics, food policy, public health, and sports economics. His papers have been featured in prominent journals such as the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Economic Inquiry, and Food Policy. Professor Kaplan holds a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
David Wells Roland-Holst is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resources Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr Roland-Holst is one of the world's leading authorities on economic forecasting, with extensive research experience in economics related to international trade, development, agriculture, and the environment, authoring seven books and over 100 articles and chapters in professional journals and books. Professor Roland-Holst has served in several academic posts in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He also conducted research in over 40 countries, working with public institutions including a variety of Federal and state agencies, the Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), World Bank, and several United Nations agencies, as well as governments in Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the U.S. Professor Roland-Holst holds a PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley and is a US citizen.
David Zilberman holds the Robinson Chair in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at the University of California at Berkeley. He is the recipient of the 2019 Wolf Prize in Agriculture and was elected a member of the U.S. National Academy of Science 2019. David served as the 2018–19 President of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA). He's a fellow of multiple professional associations and has published in both professional and popular outlets. He has over 400 refereed articles in journals ranging from Science to ARE Update and has edited 25 books. In addition, he has served as a consultant to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the World Bank, and FAO. David's BA is from Tel Aviv University and his PhD is from Berkeley. David is the co-founder of the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program and the academic director of the Berkeley Master of Development Practice program.
David's research analyzes water, innovation, supply chains, and the interactions between agriculture, energy, and the environment. He has researched the economics and political economy of agricultural biotechnology and the potential of the bioeconomy. In addition, he has been working on water policy programs and the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
