UNL Agricultural Economics

We had a great time at the first East Campus Discovery Days of the season this past Saturday! Our department, CAP and Buy Fresh Buy Local and enjoyed connecting with families, students, and community members throughout the event.

Discovery Days at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln offers something for everyone. Explore hands-on science activities, enjoy live music, visit food trucks, shop the farmers market and vendor fair, and stop by the newly renovated UNL Dairy Store for a scoop of ice cream. Visitors can also stroll through the beautiful Backyard Farmer garden and discover all that East Campus has to offer.
Activities are free and family-friendly, with food, crafts, and local products available for purchase. We look forward to seeing everyone at the next Discovery Days event!

So proud of our Buy Fresh By Local team! They were featured in the Beatrice Daily Sun by reporter Christina Lyons: https://beatricedailysun.com/news/local/article_7d0d2ec4-9d6c-44bd-99b3-c94abfe317c1.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawSKloBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFHSE1SNERmcGN4RXJpTXE5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgCHDuN4dmEwtDSrXPwv-HeLhhhFUvmrQmzQn7mfRDeNPjTWvRtNF4p9CZgx_aem_DscSThq1XiTKa9R05GNcMw

Local food showcase takes place at Beatrice Farmers Market "The goal is to celebrate locate food, celebrate local farmers and to bring joy around trying new things," said Skylar Falter of Buy Fresh, Buy Local.

We are so proud of our Nebraska Cooperative Development Center for their work and impact on the community:

Nebraska's first homecare cooperative helps clients stay home and out of care facilities Republican River Valley Homecare in Arapahoe became Nebraska’s first worker-owned homecare cooperative when it started accepting clients in January.

Congratulations to Dr. Giannakas on being selected as the recipient of the 2026 Darrell W. Nelson Graduate Student Advising Excellence Award!

This recognition highlights his outstanding commitment to graduate student mentoring, guidance, and academic excellence. Thank you for the positive impact you make on students and the university community through your dedication and leadership.

Please join us in congratulating him on this well-deserved honor!

🎓 We’re excited to share photos from this morning's celebration honoring our graduating graduate students!

Your hard work, dedication, and passion have led you to this incredible milestone. We are proud of all you have accomplished and excited to see the impact you will make in your careers, communities, and beyond.

Thank you for the contributions you’ve made during your time with us. Wishing you continued success as you begin this next chapter!

We’re proud to share that Dr. Cory Walters, in Agricultural Economics, was recently promoted to Professor!

This well-deserved recognition reflects his dedication to Extension work, impactful research, and commitment to our students and community.

Please join us in congratulating Cory on this outstanding achievement!

Celebrating Excellence in CASNR! We are proud to recognize 9 outstanding undergraduate students from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources who are graduating with High Distinction!

This honor reflects their exceptional academic achievement and unwavering commitment to excellence throughout their time in CASNR. These students have demonstrated strong critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to tackle complex challenges.
Please join us in congratulating:

Justin Barbee
Cameryn Bellar
Blake Hansen
Jayden Isernhagen
Jeremiah Johnson
Derek Pirak
Emma Wrede
Grace Timm
Sarah Treffer

🔗 Learn more about graduating with distinction: https://casnr.unl.edu/graduating-distinction/

Graduating with Distinction | College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources | Nebraska In recognition of outstanding academic excellence, CASNR recommends the bachelors degree With Distinction, With High Distinction, and With Highest Distinction. Recommendations are made by the CASNR committee on Scholarship. To be eligible for consideration by the committee, undergraduate students mu...

Students from Nebraska FFA chapters across the state arrived in Lincoln this week for the 98th State FFA Convention! We’re excited to welcome these future leaders in agriculture as they connect, compete, and grow through this incredible experience. The future of ag is bright, and it starts right here in Nebraska!

Reserve the date! Filley-Garey Lecture with, Dr. Madhu Khanna,
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Date: April 10, 2026
Location: Hardin Hall – Auditorium #107
Time: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Dr. Madhu Khanna is the ACES Distinguished Professor of Environmental Economics in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics and Alvin H. Baum Family Chair and Director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. Her research is at the intersection of agricultural, energy and environmental economics and has led to more than 180 peer-reviewed publications that are widely cited. She has served on the USEPA Science Advisory Board for 10 years and on the Board of Directors of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) and the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists and as President of AAEA. She is currently on the Board of the International Association of Agricultural Economics and the International Consortium of Applied Bioeconomy Research. She is a University of Illinois Scholar, a Stanford Woods Institute of Environment Leopold Leadership Fellow, and fellow of AAEA and European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE).

Abstract:

Circular Bioeconomy Systems: A Paradigm for Sustainability or a Conundrum

Transforming the economic system from a “take-make-waste”¬, or linear production system, to a circular bioeconomy that reduces, recycles, recovers, reuses, and regenerates wastes and transitions from fossil to biobased fuels and products is being hailed as critical for meeting a growing population's food and fuel needs in environmentally sustainable ways. While a transformation towards a circular bioeconomy is an imperative and an appealing strategy to achieve multiple environmental goals, this strategy needs to go beyond a techno-centric focus and adopt an economic value-based lens to balance the desire for circularity with its costs, benefits, and muti-dimensional environmental and distributional effects on society. This talk will provide a perspective on the mechanisms that sustain the existing linear economy, pathways to achieve a sustainable circular bioeconomy and policy choices in a market economy consisting of decentralized decision-makers.

For those who are interested in attending and learning more:

GTAP network gives faculty, students new opportunities for policy-focused economic analysis Husker faculty and students have an important tool for economic analysis thanks to newly acquired university-wide access to the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), renowned for its comprehensive data sets and rigorous economic modeling.