Research
Job Market Paper
Extinguishing the Blaze: Impact of Crop Residue Management on Stubble Burning in India
Abstract: Crop residue burning is a major source of air pollution in India, driven by the short window between rice harvesting and wheat sowing, and limited awareness of sustainable alternatives. This study evaluates the impact of subsidizing early-maturity variety rice seeds (EMV) and providing technical training on residue management, using a randomized controlled trial in Punjab, India. Relative to the control group, providing subsidies alone increases sustainable harvesting by 3.57 acres (123% increase over the control group). When combined with training, the effect rises to 4.60 acres (a 158% improvement relative to the control mean). Training enhances the impact of subsidies by promoting greater EMV adoption and addressing knowledge gaps in sustainable residue management. Treated farmers reported improved awareness and confidence in alternatives to burning, with some learning occurring even in the subsidy-only group. Instrumental variable estimates suggest that adopting EMVs on one additional acre increases sustainable harvesting by 1.35 acres. These findings offer the first causal evidence that India’s policy push for EMV adoption can effectively curb residue burning. I also find that the effects are stronger for farmers who were more aware of alternate methods of residue management at the baseline, and weaker for larger farmers. A costbenefit calculation suggests that each $1 spent generates $32.28 of social benefits in the Seed Subsidy Only group and $28.35 in the Subsidy and Training group, highlighting the environmental and economic efficiency of scaling this policy intervention.
Funding
CEGA, PEDL, Center for Economic Justice and Action (UCSC), Agricultural Experiment Station (UCSC) and Department of Economics (UCSC)
Coverage
Working Papers
Does Micro-irrigation Save Energy? An Investigation in Gujarat, India (with Nick Hagerty and Ariel Zucker; under review, Energy Economics )
Abstract: Energy efficiency is a global priority, but investments in energy efficiency do not always deliver the expected benefits. This paper studies micro-irrigation systems (MIS), a technology thought to reduce the energy required for irrigation by as much as 70 percent. We installed individual meters to directly measure the energy consumption of several hundred farmers in Gujarat, India, and linked this meter data with survey data to yield a comprehensive view into energy use patterns in smallholder agriculture. We document two facts. One, energy use varies widely across farmers, and this variation is unexplained by factors such as farm area or village geography. Two, MIS users in our sample consume 30 to 40 percent more energy than nonusers of MIS. This difference does not appear to be explained by observable differences across farmers nor by rebound effects, suggesting that the energy impacts of MIS under real-world conditions may be disappointing. While these findings are not causal, they highlight a need for increased attention to details of implementation and further research into the actual benefits of resource-conserving technologies.
Call and Response: The Role of Organizational Incentives in Amplifying Worker Voice (with Achyuta Adhvaryu, Smit Gade, Teresa Molina and Anant Nyshadham)
Abstract: The ability of workers to communicate effectively with management and, critically, to have their questions, suggestions, and concerns heard and acted upon is commonly held as crucial for organizational performance. Yet there exists little rigorous evidence to evaluate this claim. To address this gap, we conducted a randomized controlled trial among 43 factory units of a large Indian garment manufacturer. Units were assigned at random to one of two treatment arms or a control arm. In the first treatment arm, workers were given access to a tool that enabled anonymous, two-way communication with HR via text or voice message. In the second, access to this tool was coupled with incentives for HR managers based on timely and appropriate case resolution. We find that access to the tool paired with organizational incentives substantially reduced absenteeism, increased workers’ productivity and earnings, and (suggestively) reduced turnover. The tool alone did not affect any of these outcomes. Our results underscore the importance of aligning incentives within organizations to effectively improve both worker outcomes and firm performance.
Funding
Fighting Farm Fires: Lessons from a Pilot Intervention to Reduce Crop Residue Burning in India
Abstract: Crop residue burning by rice farmers in North India is a major contributor to winter air pollution, accounting for up to one-third of particulate emissions during the harvest season. To evaluate whether interventions designed to reduce time and information constraints can curb this practice, I conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial with 205 farmers in Punjab in 2022. The intervention combined an in-person information session on sustainable crop residue management (CRM) practices and the environmental harms of burning, along with free access to PUSA bio-decomposer—a microbial solution that accelerates residue decomposition. Using self-reported survey responses, I find that treated farmers were 56 percentage points more likely to adopt at least one alternate CRM method and 56 percentage points less likely to burn their fields relative to the control mean of 81% area burnt. While the treated farmers used the decomposer on only 5% of their cultivated land, many adopted complementary technologies such as Happy Seeders and Balers, suggesting that information and sensitization were key drivers of behavioral change. Insights from this pilot informed the design of a larger follow-up study using field observed data on burning, and in future work, I plan to leverage satellite imagery to independently verify burning outcomes.
Funding
Works in Progress
Firms & Pollution: Banking Access and Environmental Impact in India (with Patrick Behrer and Teevrat Garg)
Abstract: This paper examines how improved banking access influences environmental outcomes in India, leveraging a policy-driven expansion of bank branches in underbanked districts. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we analyze district-level emissions data to assess the impact of increased credit availability on firm-level pollution. Our findings indicate that expanded credit access leads to a significant decline in industrial PM2.5 and CO₂ emissions, particularly in regions with a high concentration of small firms. We provide evidence that firms utilize enhanced credit access to invest in cleaner production technologies and pollution control measures, thereby improving productivity while reducing emissions. These results suggest that financial inclusion policies can play a crucial role in both economic development and environmental sustainability.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Flood Mitigation Using Nature Based Solutions in California (with Drishan Banerjee, Galina Hale and Borja G. Reguero)
Mitigating Groundwater Depletion in Punjab: Canals as a Sustainable Alternative (with Rajdev Brar and Aprajit Mahajan)
Book Chapters:
Amplifying Worker Voice with Technology and Organizational Incentives (with Achyuta Adhvaryu, Smit Gade, Lavanya Garg, Mansi Kabra, Ankita Nanda, Anant Nyshadham, Arvind Patil and Mamta Pimoli)
Abstract: Economic development can be driven by large, high-performing firms that provide safe, dignified jobs with living wages. The garment manufacturing industry is a large, economically important sector concentrated in low- and middle-income countries; however, it has been characterized by persistent neglect of workers’ concerns and working conditions. This case study explores whether digital communication platforms, combined with improvements in management, can empower garment factory workers to voice their concerns and have their grievances addressed. We describe a series of randomized experiments testing the effectiveness of different grievance reporting solutions, finding that access to an anonymous complaint service improves worker satisfaction and reduces absenteeism. However, these simple solutions do not adequately address issues around management trust, accountability, and quality. An ongoing experiment explores whether grievance reporting technology, combined with team-based performance incentives for management, can further improve outcomes for workers.