Research Bio
David Zilberman holds the Robinson Chair in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at UC Berkeley. He received the 2019 Wolf Prize in Agriculture and was elected a U.S. National Academy of Science member in 2019.
David served as the 2018-19 President of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA). He's a fellow of multiple professional associations and has published in professional and popular outlets. He has over 400 referenced journal articles ranging from Science to ARE-Update and has edited 30 books. In addition, he has served as a Consultant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA, the World Bank, FAO, MARS, BP, and others. David got a BA from Tel Aviv University and a Berkeley Ph.D. David co-founded the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program and is the academic director of the Berkeley MDP program.
David's research analyzes water, innovation, supply chain, agriculture, energy, and the environment. He has studied the adoption of irrigation technology and water markets in California, the economics of pesticide regulation, the political economy of agricultural biotechnology, the design and potential of the bioeconomy, the economics of biofuels and alternative crops, and the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research Expertise and Interest
marketing, biotechnology, water, risk management, biofuels, natural resources, agricultural and environmental policy, the economics of innovation
In the News
New Center To Advance Use of Seaweed in the Global Economy
Eight Berkeley faculty elected to National Academy of Sciences
David Zilberman awarded Wolf Prize in Agriculture
Researchers awarded Wolf Prizes in agriculture, chemistry
How to feed a starving world? A new center at Berkeley seeks solutions
How to feed a fast-growing world where 900 million people are undernourished? Claire Kremen, a conservation biologist, sees traditional, sustainable practices as the solution. She and a group of Berkeley colleagues are establishing a new Berkeley Center for Diversified Farming Systems to find ways to scale up agroecological practices around the globe. A special report from the College of Natural Resources.
UC Berkeley launches new master's program in sustainability, joining global campus network
Recognizing the proven leadership of campus faculty and students in addressing climate change, poverty and public health, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation selected the University of California, Berkeley, as one of 10 universities worldwide to launch a new master's degree program in development practice.