News

Three graduate students won CEOS mini-grants for research over the next year!

These students in Agricultural and Consumer Economics all demonstrate a detailed plan and clear use of funds towards sustainability-related research projects in their applications.

Husain Krawadwala is studying consumer perceptions of health and environmental impacts of plant based meat products under his advisor, Brenna Ellison. Joel Tansey is looking at the sustainability of the Illinois cannabis industry. Juo-Han Tsay will use the funds towards research into the effect of conservation practices on farmland value. Both Ms. Han and Mr. Tansey are working with advisor Nicholas Paulson. 

Congrats to our winners! 

Learn more about the mini-grants here.

Most of us don't have the resources to read or understand every painstakingly-researched and written article that interests us. That's where the CEOS podcast comes in! 

When scholars publish new research, they tell us the major points and takeaways in about ten minutes.

We are still figuring this out, so bear with us as we continue to learn and produce these.

If you would like to hear an interview on a specific paper or be interviewed about newly published research, please send a request to ceos-contact@illinois.edu.  

1. Madhu Khanna and Ruiqing Miao on the interactions and impacts of birds and pesticides

Did you miss out on the December Economics of Sustainability Mini-Talks? All four talks, hosted by Amy Ando, Madhu Kanna, Hope Michelson, and Yilan Xu are now available on the CEOS Youtube channel!

Speakers:

Joe Janzen | "How much U.S. farmland is organic?"

Ben Gramig | “If less tillage costs less, then why don’t more farmers use conservation tillage?”

Brenna Ellison | "Digging in: Food waste along the supply chain"

Shadi Atallah | "Are consumers willing to pay for both local brewing and local hops?"

In case you missed it, watch Associate Professor Ben Gramig's insightful presentation on the factors that lead to some farmers choosing not to adopt conservation tillage practices. This presentation was recorded during  our December "Mini-Talks" series. If you're interested in learning more, subscribe to our mail list for to be the first to know about upcoming Mini-Talks!

Extension programs are an important component of government agricultural policy and development strategies in nations across the globe. Extension is a principal means for governments to communicate best practices to farmers and is therefore instrumental in supporting rural livelihoods, ensuring an adequate supply of food, and maintaining the economy, especially in low-income nations where economies and labor forces remain predominantly rural and agricultural.