Research
Job Market Paper
Extinguishing the Blaze: Impact of Crop Residue Management on Stubble Burning in India
Abstract: Crop residue burning is a major environmental concern in India, exposing millions to hazardous air pollution. A key driver is the narrow planting window between rice harvesting and wheat sowing, compounded by limited knowledge of sustainable residue management. In a randomized controlled trial with rice farmers in India, I evaluate the impact of subsidizing early-maturity rice seeds—giving farmers more time to manage residues—and providing technical training on sustainable disposal methods. Preliminary results suggest that seed subsidies reduce burning by 19 percentage points, and combining subsidies with training reduces burning by 26 percentage points. A back-of-the-envelope calculation using ITT estimates and the social cost of carbon in India suggests that a $3 per acre seed subsidy reduces CO₂ emissions worth $44 per acre.
Funding
CEGA, PEDL, Center for Economic Justice and Action (UCSC), J-PAL ATAI, 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
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)