The Berkeley Blog » David Zilberman

Bob Evenson: An economist with heart

David Zilberman — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:50:51 +0000

Recently I learned one of my dear colleagues, Bob Evenson from Yale University, passed away. Bob grew up on a farm in the Minnesota and got his PhD at the University of Chicago. He became a leading development economist, and taught for more than 30 years mostly at Yale.

My early impressions, as a student in Israel and in Berkeley, was that Chicago economics and development were an oxymoron. Chicago economists were supposed to be free-market, cold-hearted creatures that only cared about efficiency. Bob was actually the opposite of this stereotype: he really cared about people, and no matter who you ... More >

Is ‘sustainable’ attainable?

David Zilberman — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:12:13 +0000

Our new program, the Master of Development Practice, emphasizes ‘sustainability’ — but what exactly is it?

Last week, we hosted a panel of 5 faculty experts to address this question. It was agreed that sustainability means that all humans are able to maintain a decent standard of living, akin to say, Costa Rica (neither Switzerland nor Bangladesh), without destroying the environment

However, physical science tells us that at the current state of affairs, this is highly unlikely. We rely too much on fossil fuels, climate change is a real threat and there are simply too many people. The challenge of sustainability is ... More >

Lessons from Prop 37 and the future of genetic engineering in agriculture

David Zilberman — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:38:36 +0000

I was a strong opponent of Proposition of 37 and I am quite satisfied that it did not pass; but its failure serves more than vindication. It has interesting implications for the attitude of California on environmental issues, the future of GMOs, and the future of technology in general.

The truth is that I was surprised at the result. I expected the Proposition to pass. Early polls showed that 80% in favor of the proposition, which then moved to 60%, but to have the result be 58% against it was quite a turnaround. Of course, many people blamed corporate interests and ... More >

Mandatory versus voluntary labeling: The case of Prop 37

David Zilberman — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:58:49 +0000

In debating Proposition 37, people ask me ‘What’s wrong with providing information to consumers?’ The answer is ‘information provisions are costly and therefore society must make a choice whether labeling should be mandatory or voluntary?’ Currently, food items and other consumer goods are covered with ‘labels’, from branding logos to certifications of kosher, halal, organic or fair trade, but most of it is voluntary. Whoever places a company logo, pays for it and backs it up. For example, fair trade coffee is backed up by an organization that certifies it the coffee growers receive fair compensation and fulfill other standards. ... More >

‘Vision’ for development practice education

David Zilberman — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:29:57 +0000

In 2009 UC Berkeley received a grant from the Macarthur Foundation to establish a professional Master degree in development practice (MDP) and after overcoming all of the bureaucratic hurdles, the first cohort joined campus this fall.

The MDP is, in essence, an MBA in sustainable development. It includes classes in development and resource economics, project management, impact assessment, basics in natural and social economics, public health, community development and leadership, political economy and climate change. It also requires a ten week internship in the field in a developing country, working with practitioners on the ground in various area such as agriculture, ... More >

The bioeconomy dilemma

David Zilberman — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 18:40:58 +0000

Many view the ‘bioeconomy’, as a key element of the future. While in the past, many vital activities were dependent on non-renewable inputs such petroleum based chemicals, the bioeconomy which utilizes advanced tools of modern biology, will yield products that are renewable and produced from plants and other organic matter that humans can grow. Countries, such as Germany, have started establishing timelines and performance targets for the bioeconomy and policy wonks, as well as firms and NGOs are thinking about policy initiatives to advance them. However, when one looks at the specifics required for the transition to the bioeconomy, in ... More >

The GMO labeling debate continued: It’s about the ‘benchmark’

David Zilberman — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 23:16:59 +0000

I was amazed by the response to my previous post – and I will try address some of the main points.

I found three main themes repeating through the comments. First, it is clear that there are many people who are concerned about the side effects of GMOs and don’t trust biotech companies that produce them and the governments that regulate them. These people should vote for the proposition to label GMOs. This is a democracy, after all. I suspect that there are others that may be slightly concerned about GMOs or are indifferent, but they are not aware of the ... More >

Why labeling of GMOs is actually bad for people and the environment

David Zilberman — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 23:14:53 +0000

On November 6th, California voters will be asked to vote on a proposition about labeling of genetically modified (GM) products. On the surface this seems quite reasonable: people should have information about what they consume. In my view, labeling requirements are appropriate when there is undisputed scientific evidence that a food component is damaging, which, for example, is the reason for warning labels on cigarettes. But with GMOs this is not the case. For example, a recent NRC report states that GMOs are as safe if not more safe than conventional food which is also consistent with most of the ... More >

On the linkage between energy prices and the financial crisis

David Zilberman — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:38:32 +0000

In 2007 an acquaintance of mine, a housing developer, told me that he lost his investment in a new development near Tracy, CA (a commuter town about 60 miles outside San Francisco) and further told me that this community, as well as other commuter towns in the Central Valley, suffered incredible high rates of defaults. During the course of our conversation, he suggested that the rising gasoline prices made it unaffordable for many people to live there. Soon after, one of my students told me a similar story about a developer in Indio in Southern California who suffered a similar ... More >

Hooray for sustainable development

David Zilberman — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:21:20 +0000

While this may seem like a cheesy title it represents a newly acquired appreciation for the term ‘sustainable development’. Years ago, my Dean asked me to join the Center for Sustainable Resource Development and as a young faculty member I did not fully comprehend what it meant but I knew that one shouldn’t refuse the request of the Dean, so I complied. Back then, I considered sustainable development to be a noncontroversial slogan that could bring people together but I didn’t realize that it actually represents a very sophisticated vision. It is a vision that recognizes the challenge between the ... More >