Divya Solomon
Education: PhD ’23, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in Resource Policy and Behavior
Cornell Adviser: Chris Barrett (JCB/Dyson School and CALS)
External Partner: Chellattan Veettil Prakashan (Cereal System Initiative for South Asia)
Themes: Increasing Food Security, Reducing Climate Risks
Capping Crop Burning Through Synergies Between Conservation Agriculture and Carbon Credits
Divya Solomon is a 2023 Cornell Atkinson Postdoctoral Fellow. In her research project, Divya will assess the potential of the carbon credit market in India to subsidize and accelerate the adoption of sustainable intensification technology. Working with Chris Barrett, Andrew McDonald, and partners at the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), the project builds on ongoing work to understand how sustainable intensification technologies can benefit farmers’ livelihoods and minimize the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment. Divya will partner with CSISA to study whether offering farmers carbon credits for adopting practices such as zero tillage will deter farmers from burning crop residues. She will also map the effects of adopting these technologies on household well-being to build a holistic understanding of the impacts of sustainable intensification technologies. This study will give insights into the effectiveness of technology and financial innovations to nudge India’s agricultural pathway to a more sustainable one while identifying barriers to adoption and key leverage points to increase social, economic and environmental benefits. Divya, along with partners at CSISA will use a stakeholder-informed approach working with farmers, local NGO’s and government agencies to ensure that her study is relevant and build strategic partnerships to ensure the uptake of her findings.