Welcome!
I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Economics at North Carolina State University.
My primary fields are agricultural and environmental economics. My research examines the effectiveness and efficiency of agri-environmental policy instruments in promoting conservation practice adoption, with a particular focus on economic incentive programs. I also collaborate with crop and soil scientists to evaluate emerging nutrient management technologies through systematic review and cost–benefit analysis. My work integrates applied econometric methods and models of farmer behavior with remote-sensing data to identify the drivers of environmentally sustainable production decisions and inform the design of agri-environmental policies.
I am on the 2025–2026 Job Market. You can view my CV here and contact me at lsanat@ncsu.edu.
Job Market Paper
Promoting Cover Crop Use in the United States: The Role of State-led Incentive Programs
Abstract
This study examines the role of state-led conservation programs in promoting cover crop adoption in the United States (US). Utilizing county-level satellite data on cover crop acres from 16 US states between 2005 and 2020, our study employs a staggered difference-in-differences (DiD) framework to estimate the impacts of these programs on cover crop uptake. The findings reveal that state programs significantly increase initial short-term adoption of cover crops. However, there is evidence that the strong initial adoption impact of state programs is generally not sustained over the longer term several years after the introduction of the state program. Bolstering state-level conservation programs offers a practical pathway to accelerate cover crop adoption rates and meet environmental goals in the short term, especially since these programs are flexibly designed and tailored to local needs. Nonetheless, program design adjustments or new policy instruments may be needed to sustain further adoption over the long run.
Education
North Carolina State University, USA
Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan
Research Interests
- Agri-Environmental Policies
- Adoption and Diffusion of Conservation Practices
- Sustainable Crop Production Systems
- Farmer Behavior and Decision-Making
- Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Management