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Filtered by: Energy, Environment and Food Systems

The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Will Deepen the Farm Crisis, Not Solve It

Rebecca Schewe and Rick Welsh
The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) promises billions in new farm subsidies, but most of that money won’t go to the farmers who need it most. This brief describes how the OBBB’s changes to agricultural subsidy programs will disproportionately benefit large farms and non-farming investors, accelerating farm loss and consolidation across the United States.
April 1, 2026

Contemporary Land Transitions in the United States: Critical Questions of Concentration and (Re)Distribution

Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Madeleine Fairbairn

Co-authored by Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, associate professor of geography and the environment, the article was published in Geography Compass.

January 22, 2026

Why Are Food System Workers Excluded from Local Food Policy Councils?

Frank Sarfo, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern and Jonnell A Robinson
This brief summarizes findings from a study that examined the challenges and barriers that have limited FPCs’ engagement with labor issues. The authors find that internal tensions, limited capacity, and weak ties to labor groups hinder FPC engagement in food labor advocacy.
August 20, 2025

See related: United States

Will Work For Food: Labor across the Food Chain

Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Teresa Mares

Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, associate professor of geography and the environment, has co-written a new book, Will Work For Food: Labor across the Food Chain (University of California Press, 2025). Minkoff-Zern and co-author Teresa Mares explore the often-overlooked role of labor in the food system, highlighting the exploitation faced by frontline workers from farms to restaurants.

July 16, 2025

Not in My Backyard? The Local Impact of Wind and Solar Parks in Brazil

Fabian Scheifele, David Popp

The study, authored by David Popp, professor of public administration and international affairs, was published in Energy Economics.

June 11, 2025

Rule-mediated connectivity in social-ecological-technological systems: A comparative network analysis of reservoir operation rules in Coyote Valley Dam (United States) and Ameghino Dam (Argentina)

Tomás Olivier, Hoon C. Shin, David J. Yu, and Margaret Garcia

This June 2025 Research to Practice Brief summarizes "Rule-mediated connectivity in social-ecological-technological systems: A comparative network analysis of reservoir operation rules in Coyote Valley Dam (United States) and Ameghino Dam (Argentina)," co-authored by Tomás Olivier, Hoon C. Shin, David J. Yu, and Margaret Garcia in the Journal of Environmental Management.

June 3, 2025

The Meatpacking Industry Needs Stronger Worker Protections and Enhanced Oversight

India Luxton and Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern
This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from 39 interviews with local, state, and federal officials and bureaucrats, worker advocates, and workers to analyze meatpacking policymaking and oversight during COVID-19. 
December 10, 2024

How Does the Reauthorization of the Farm Bill Impact SNAP?

Colleen Heflin and Camille Barbin
Negotiations on a new Farm Bill have included SNAP proposals to limit state discretion on work requirements during periods of low job availability, indefinitely freeze the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan, and lift the ban on prepared meals. This brief describes how these proposals could increase food insecurity and suggests way the new Farm Bill could better serve the nutritional needs of low-income households.
October 16, 2024

Institutional fit and policy design in water governance: Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts

Tomás Olivier, Sechindra Vallury
This September 2024 Research to Practice Brief provides a summary of "Institutional fit and policy design in water governance: Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts," co-authored by Tomás Olivier and Sechindra Vallury in the Policy Studies Journal.
September 24, 2024

Machine Learning (ML) Platforms Can Contradict Dairy Scientists and Feed Firm Websites Regarding Dairy Cattle Performance from Feeding Seaweed Supplements

Siobhan O'Keefe, Rick Welsh, Mercy Oppong, Ryan Fitzgerald, David Conner, Michelle Tynan, Nichole Price, Charlotte Quigle

“Machine Learning (ML) Platforms Can Contradict Dairy Scientists and Feed Firm Websites Regarding Dairy Cattle Performance from Feeding Seaweed Supplements,” co-authored by Professor of Sociology Rick Welsh, was published in Choices.

September 3, 2024

Institutional fit and policy design in water governance: Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts

Tomás Olivier, Sechindra Vallury
"Institutional fit and policy design in water governance: Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts," co-authored by Tomás Olivier, Senior Research Associate at the Center for Policy Design and Governance and the Center for Policy Research, and Sechindra Vallury, was published in Policy Studies Journal.
August 19, 2024

Evaluating conflict in collaborative environmental governance: A study of environmental justice councils

Graham Ambrose, Jangkim Kim, and Saba Siddiki
This August 2024 Research to Practice Brief provides a summary of "Evaluating conflict in collaborative environmental governance: A study of environmental justice councils," co-authored by Graham Ambrose, Jangmin Kim, and Saba Siddiki in the Policy Studies Journal.
August 15, 2024

A Policy Design Perspective on Electricity Rates

Nicholas Oesterling
This May 2024 Research to Practice Brief summarizes "A policy design perspective on electricity rates," authored by Nicholas Oesterling in Policy Design and Practice.
June 10, 2024

Evaluating conflict in collaborative environmental governance: A study of environmental justice councils

Graham Ambrose, Jangmin Kim, Saba Siddiki
"Evaluating conflict in collaborative environmental governance: A study of environmental justice councils," co-authored by Graham Ambrose, Graduate Research Associate for the Center for Policy Design and Governance and the Center for Policy Research, and Saba Siddiki, director of the Center for Policy Design and Governance, was published in the Review of Policy Research.
June 6, 2024

See related: Environment, United States

Understanding policy evolution using institutional grammar: net metering policies in the United States

Graham Ambrose, Myriam Gregoire-Zawilski, Saba Siddiki, Nicholas Oesterling
"Understanding policy evolution using institutional grammar: net metering policies in the United States," co-authored by Graham Ambrose, Graduate Research Associate for the Center for Policy Design and Governance and the Center for Policy Research, Myriam Gregoire-Zawilski, Graduate Research Associate for the Center for Policy Research, Saba Siddiki, director of the Center for Policy Design and Governance, and Nicholas Oesterling, Graduate Research Associate for the Center for Policy Design and Governance and the Center for Policy Research, was published in Policy Design and Practice.
June 6, 2024

See related: Energy, United States

A policy design perspective on electricity rates

Nicholas Oesterling
This May 2024 Research to Practice Brief summarizes "A policy design perspective on electricity rates," authored by Nicholas Oesterling in Policy Design and Practice.
June 6, 2024

See related: Energy, United States

The Next Wave of Energy Innovation: Which Technologies? Which Skills?

David Popp, Francesco Vona, Myriam Grégoire-Zawilski, Giovanni Marin

"The Next Wave of Energy Innovation: Which Technologies? Which Skills?," co-authored by David Popp, professor of public administration and international affairs, was published in Review of Environmental Economics and Policy.

February 15, 2024

Stronger Regulations on Air Pollution Could Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Rates

Yue Sun
Cutting air pollution to match the World Health Organization’s proposed standards could have prevented over 300,000 cardiovascular disease deaths in 2016-18. 
December 6, 2023

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