Joel Ferguson
@joelferguson.bsky.social
Assistant Professor @ Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW Madison
Remote Sensing + Machine Learning for Ag/Dev econ questions
joelferg.github.io
Remote Sensing + Machine Learning for Ag/Dev econ questions
joelferg.github.io
Reposted by Joel Ferguson
π Why irrigation infrastructure projects are key to food security and climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa
Abdoulaye Cisse, Alain de Janvry @natureatcal.bsky.social, @joelferguson.bsky.social, @marcogn.bsky.social, Samba Mbaye, Elisabeth Sadoulet & Mame Mor: voxdev.org/topic/agricu...
Abdoulaye Cisse, Alain de Janvry @natureatcal.bsky.social, @joelferguson.bsky.social, @marcogn.bsky.social, Samba Mbaye, Elisabeth Sadoulet & Mame Mor: voxdev.org/topic/agricu...
Why irrigation infrastructure projects are key to food security and climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa
Expanding irrigation infrastructure in Senegal led to significant and sustained increases in cultivation rates and reduced sensitivity to temperature shocks.
voxdev.org
October 23, 2025 at 10:18 AM
π Why irrigation infrastructure projects are key to food security and climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa
Abdoulaye Cisse, Alain de Janvry @natureatcal.bsky.social, @joelferguson.bsky.social, @marcogn.bsky.social, Samba Mbaye, Elisabeth Sadoulet & Mame Mor: voxdev.org/topic/agricu...
Abdoulaye Cisse, Alain de Janvry @natureatcal.bsky.social, @joelferguson.bsky.social, @marcogn.bsky.social, Samba Mbaye, Elisabeth Sadoulet & Mame Mor: voxdev.org/topic/agricu...
Reposted by Joel Ferguson
Call for Papers: 23rd Midwest International Economic Development Conference. April 24-25, 2026. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Details: mwiedc.org Submit: editorialexpress.com/conference/m... #EconSky
Midwest International Economic Development Conference
mwiedc.org
October 16, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Call for Papers: 23rd Midwest International Economic Development Conference. April 24-25, 2026. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Details: mwiedc.org Submit: editorialexpress.com/conference/m... #EconSky
I really like that we combined remote sensing and primary data collection in an interesting way in this project: RS showed us an issue and where it occurs, and we surveyed those affected about the causes. Iβm hoping to do more at that intersection going forward
September 4, 2025 at 5:47 PM
I really like that we combined remote sensing and primary data collection in an interesting way in this project: RS showed us an issue and where it occurs, and we surveyed those affected about the causes. Iβm hoping to do more at that intersection going forward
Next, we survey owners of land that hasnβt been cultivated in recent years to better understand what drives disuse. We find that, despite all of these lands being serviced by an irrigation project, farmers point to difficulty accessing water as one of the main drivers of disuse!
September 4, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Next, we survey owners of land that hasnβt been cultivated in recent years to better understand what drives disuse. We find that, despite all of these lands being serviced by an irrigation project, farmers point to difficulty accessing water as one of the main drivers of disuse!
First, we use over 3000 Landsat images of the SRV from 1985-2019 to classify land as cultivated or not at the 30m pixel level. This lets us answer questions like βHow much does project completion increase cultivation rate?β and βWhat share of projects cultivate less than 1/3 of their area?β
September 4, 2025 at 5:47 PM
First, we use over 3000 Landsat images of the SRV from 1985-2019 to classify land as cultivated or not at the 30m pixel level. This lets us answer questions like βHow much does project completion increase cultivation rate?β and βWhat share of projects cultivate less than 1/3 of their area?β
We explore how large-scale irrigation infrastructure, which has expanded in the Senegal River Valley (SRV) to service over 100k ha, has altered the amount of land cultivated and patterns around cultivation and disuse. We combine administrative data on irrigation projects with two data sources.
September 4, 2025 at 5:47 PM
We explore how large-scale irrigation infrastructure, which has expanded in the Senegal River Valley (SRV) to service over 100k ha, has altered the amount of land cultivated and patterns around cultivation and disuse. We combine administrative data on irrigation projects with two data sources.
βIrrigation infrastructure and satellite-measured land cultivation impacts: Evidence from the Senegal river valleyβ is now live at the JDE!
Iβm really proud of the work that my coauthors - Abdou, Alain, @marcogn.bsky.social, Samba, Betty, and Mame Mor - and I put into this.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jd...
Iβm really proud of the work that my coauthors - Abdou, Alain, @marcogn.bsky.social, Samba, Betty, and Mame Mor - and I put into this.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jd...
Redirecting
doi.org
September 4, 2025 at 5:47 PM
βIrrigation infrastructure and satellite-measured land cultivation impacts: Evidence from the Senegal river valleyβ is now live at the JDE!
Iβm really proud of the work that my coauthors - Abdou, Alain, @marcogn.bsky.social, Samba, Betty, and Mame Mor - and I put into this.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jd...
Iβm really proud of the work that my coauthors - Abdou, Alain, @marcogn.bsky.social, Samba, Betty, and Mame Mor - and I put into this.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jd...
Reposted by Joel Ferguson
New Nature paper (open access!) from the Climate Impact Lab, led by Andy Hultgren (UIUC).
Climate change cuts global crop yields, even when farmers adapt - Climate Impact Lab
A new study finds the global food system faces growing risks from climate change, even as farmers seek to adapt.
impactlab.org
June 18, 2025 at 4:16 PM
New Nature paper (open access!) from the Climate Impact Lab, led by Andy Hultgren (UIUC).
Reposted by Joel Ferguson
We are back! EEE Summer School @ Berkeley!
π Info + application: www.auffhammer.com/summer-school
π Deadline: May 14 | Program: Aug 18β22 at Berkeley
We especially encourage early stage Ph.D. students with possible interest in EEE topics! Must be enrolled in North American Econ"ish" Ph.D. program.
π Info + application: www.auffhammer.com/summer-school
π Deadline: May 14 | Program: Aug 18β22 at Berkeley
We especially encourage early stage Ph.D. students with possible interest in EEE topics! Must be enrolled in North American Econ"ish" Ph.D. program.
summer school β Maximilian Auffhammer
www.auffhammer.com
April 28, 2025 at 4:46 PM
We are back! EEE Summer School @ Berkeley!
π Info + application: www.auffhammer.com/summer-school
π Deadline: May 14 | Program: Aug 18β22 at Berkeley
We especially encourage early stage Ph.D. students with possible interest in EEE topics! Must be enrolled in North American Econ"ish" Ph.D. program.
π Info + application: www.auffhammer.com/summer-school
π Deadline: May 14 | Program: Aug 18β22 at Berkeley
We especially encourage early stage Ph.D. students with possible interest in EEE topics! Must be enrolled in North American Econ"ish" Ph.D. program.
Iβm super excited to share that this fall Iβll join the faculty of University of Wisconsin in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies!
Special thanks to @marcogn.bsky.social @tedmiguel.bsky.social and Sol Hsiang for all their support throughout my PhD/postdoc and the job search
Special thanks to @marcogn.bsky.social @tedmiguel.bsky.social and Sol Hsiang for all their support throughout my PhD/postdoc and the job search
March 24, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Iβm super excited to share that this fall Iβll join the faculty of University of Wisconsin in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies!
Special thanks to @marcogn.bsky.social @tedmiguel.bsky.social and Sol Hsiang for all their support throughout my PhD/postdoc and the job search
Special thanks to @marcogn.bsky.social @tedmiguel.bsky.social and Sol Hsiang for all their support throughout my PhD/postdoc and the job search
Reposted by Joel Ferguson
π¨Job Alert
Earth System Modelers wanted at Oregon State University
Hiring multiple tenure-track/tenured faculty in Computational Earth System Science, at Assistant, Associate and/or Full Professor ranks. Deadline 15th April jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/165...
Earth System Modelers wanted at Oregon State University
Hiring multiple tenure-track/tenured faculty in Computational Earth System Science, at Assistant, Associate and/or Full Professor ranks. Deadline 15th April jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/165...
Assistant/Associate/Full Professor: Computational Earth System Science
The College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences invites applications for multiple part-time (.75 FTE), 12-month, tenure-track/tenured Assistant, Associate or Full Professor positions (depending o...
jobs.oregonstate.edu
March 14, 2025 at 8:09 PM
π¨Job Alert
Earth System Modelers wanted at Oregon State University
Hiring multiple tenure-track/tenured faculty in Computational Earth System Science, at Assistant, Associate and/or Full Professor ranks. Deadline 15th April jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/165...
Earth System Modelers wanted at Oregon State University
Hiring multiple tenure-track/tenured faculty in Computational Earth System Science, at Assistant, Associate and/or Full Professor ranks. Deadline 15th April jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/165...
The last time I visited my grandparents my grandpa came in and wrote something on the calendar. Turns out heβs been measuring precipitation there since 1991! Here are his measurements against PRISM
February 16, 2025 at 4:14 AM
The last time I visited my grandparents my grandpa came in and wrote something on the calendar. Turns out heβs been measuring precipitation there since 1991! Here are his measurements against PRISM
Reposted by Joel Ferguson
Applications open for the The Workshop in Environmental Economics and Data Science! This is a fantastic and fun small workshop and this year featuring the great Jen Burney as keynote. Applications due Jan 15th tweeds.io
TWEEDS | The workshop in environmental economics and data science
tweeds.io
December 16, 2024 at 7:38 PM
Applications open for the The Workshop in Environmental Economics and Data Science! This is a fantastic and fun small workshop and this year featuring the great Jen Burney as keynote. Applications due Jan 15th tweeds.io
What can policymakers do to help reduce the horribly costly impacts of climate change on conflict? We draw on our recent NBER WP to highlight 3 areas: strengthening the social safety net, reducing the sensitivity of income to weather shocks, and political inclusion.
π Climate change causes conflict: How can policy respond?
Today on VoxDev, @marshallburke.bsky.social , @joelferguson.bsky.social, Solomon Hsiang Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability & @tedmiguel.bsky.social UC Berkeley explore the conflict-climate change relationship
voxdev.org/topic/instit...
Today on VoxDev, @marshallburke.bsky.social , @joelferguson.bsky.social, Solomon Hsiang Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability & @tedmiguel.bsky.social UC Berkeley explore the conflict-climate change relationship
voxdev.org/topic/instit...
Climate change causes conflict: How can policy respond?
Climate change is projected to cause an increase in numerous forms of violent human behaviour. Policies like a robust social safety net and political inclusion can help ensure a more peaceful future.
voxdev.org
December 13, 2024 at 2:12 PM
What can policymakers do to help reduce the horribly costly impacts of climate change on conflict? We draw on our recent NBER WP to highlight 3 areas: strengthening the social safety net, reducing the sensitivity of income to weather shocks, and political inclusion.
Reposted by Joel Ferguson
Created this starter pack of scholars who have worked on economic causes and consequences of conflict. The list is inevitably non-exhaustive, so please let me know if you would like to be added to it (or know of someone who should be on the list).
go.bsky.app/PTSxCQf
go.bsky.app/PTSxCQf
November 21, 2024 at 7:43 PM
Created this starter pack of scholars who have worked on economic causes and consequences of conflict. The list is inevitably non-exhaustive, so please let me know if you would like to be added to it (or know of someone who should be on the list).
go.bsky.app/PTSxCQf
go.bsky.app/PTSxCQf
Reposted by Joel Ferguson
Important PNAS article on the impact of climate change on migration by Garip et al.
Undocumented migration MX->US increases when communities experience droughts. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Undocumented migration MX->US increases when communities experience droughts. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Weather deviations linked to undocumented migration and return between Mexico and the United States | PNAS
As the world’s climate continues to change, human populations are exposed to increasingly
severe and extreme weather conditions that can promote mi...
www.pnas.org
November 13, 2024 at 5:28 PM
Important PNAS article on the impact of climate change on migration by Garip et al.
Undocumented migration MX->US increases when communities experience droughts. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Undocumented migration MX->US increases when communities experience droughts. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.nber.org/papers/w24645
Light on math (I donβt think thereβs any), heavy on economic intuition, covers a lot of ground
Light on math (I donβt think thereβs any), heavy on economic intuition, covers a lot of ground
The Critical Role of Markets in Climate Change Adaptation
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
October 22, 2024 at 5:34 AM
www.nber.org/papers/w24645
Light on math (I donβt think thereβs any), heavy on economic intuition, covers a lot of ground
Light on math (I donβt think thereβs any), heavy on economic intuition, covers a lot of ground
Iβve been saying Acemoglu, Johnson, Robinson for so long my friend assumed they were my pick for this year
October 14, 2024 at 2:29 PM
Iβve been saying Acemoglu, Johnson, Robinson for so long my friend assumed they were my pick for this year
Reposted by Joel Ferguson
π£ AERE@OSWEET returns *this Friday* 10/11 at 2pm Eastern (11am Pacific) with 3 terrific talks on agriculture!
Presenters:
β¨ Joel Ferguson (Stanford, @joelferguson.bsky.social )
β¨ Na Zhang (UIUC)
β¨ Micah Cameron Harp (Kansas State)
Register & learn more: cornell.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
ππ #EconSky
Presenters:
β¨ Joel Ferguson (Stanford, @joelferguson.bsky.social )
β¨ Na Zhang (UIUC)
β¨ Micah Cameron Harp (Kansas State)
Register & learn more: cornell.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
ππ #EconSky
October 8, 2024 at 1:02 PM
π£ AERE@OSWEET returns *this Friday* 10/11 at 2pm Eastern (11am Pacific) with 3 terrific talks on agriculture!
Presenters:
β¨ Joel Ferguson (Stanford, @joelferguson.bsky.social )
β¨ Na Zhang (UIUC)
β¨ Micah Cameron Harp (Kansas State)
Register & learn more: cornell.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
ππ #EconSky
Presenters:
β¨ Joel Ferguson (Stanford, @joelferguson.bsky.social )
β¨ Na Zhang (UIUC)
β¨ Micah Cameron Harp (Kansas State)
Register & learn more: cornell.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
ππ #EconSky
What makes for a βgoodβ question from the audience in a research talk? Or (probably easier to answer) what makes for a βbadβ question?
September 23, 2024 at 11:27 PM
What makes for a βgoodβ question from the audience in a research talk? Or (probably easier to answer) what makes for a βbadβ question?
Say T=3 and D in {0,lo,hi}. My idea is in new DiD stuff with D in {0,1} everything is estimated based on cohorts - eg Di=(0,1,1), Dj=(0,0,1) - then averaging somehow
In this setting thereβs a natural analogue of trajectories, eg Di=(0,lo,lo), Dj=(0,lo,hi). Seems like a similar logic could apply
In this setting thereβs a natural analogue of trajectories, eg Di=(0,lo,lo), Dj=(0,lo,hi). Seems like a similar logic could apply
September 22, 2024 at 5:46 PM
Say T=3 and D in {0,lo,hi}. My idea is in new DiD stuff with D in {0,1} everything is estimated based on cohorts - eg Di=(0,1,1), Dj=(0,0,1) - then averaging somehow
In this setting thereβs a natural analogue of trajectories, eg Di=(0,lo,lo), Dj=(0,lo,hi). Seems like a similar logic could apply
In this setting thereβs a natural analogue of trajectories, eg Di=(0,lo,lo), Dj=(0,lo,hi). Seems like a similar logic could apply
Thanks for pointing me to that paper, definitely interesting! I donβt think it captures what I was thinking though. I also thought about it more and I think you would need to restrict HTEs within cohorts to make what I said in my 2nd response true
September 22, 2024 at 5:40 PM
Thanks for pointing me to that paper, definitely interesting! I donβt think it captures what I was thinking though. I also thought about it more and I think you would need to restrict HTEs within cohorts to make what I said in my 2nd response true
Oops, just realized thatβs just the link to the search, but I think it should be the first result there
September 22, 2024 at 5:25 PM
Oops, just realized thatβs just the link to the search, but I think it should be the first result there
Iβm not familiar with the Xu paper, are you referring to this one?
scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=e...
If so, Iβll take a look and get back to you
scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=e...
If so, Iβll take a look and get back to you
Google Scholar
scholar.google.com
September 22, 2024 at 5:23 PM
Iβm not familiar with the Xu paper, are you referring to this one?
scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=e...
If so, Iβll take a look and get back to you
scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=e...
If so, Iβll take a look and get back to you
There are potentially ways to leverage additional comparisons in this setting to get at effects of changes in treatment intensity. Eg two units treated with low intensity at the same time can be compared when one of them gets increased intensity later
Just some quick thoughts based on new DiD logic
Just some quick thoughts based on new DiD logic
September 22, 2024 at 5:11 PM
There are potentially ways to leverage additional comparisons in this setting to get at effects of changes in treatment intensity. Eg two units treated with low intensity at the same time can be compared when one of them gets increased intensity later
Just some quick thoughts based on new DiD logic
Just some quick thoughts based on new DiD logic