The Behavioral Revolution in Agricultural and Resource Economics: A Perspective on the Past and the Future

This paper traces the past 50 years of evolution of behavioral economics within agricultural and resource economics, documenting how applied economists’ empirical observations of farmer behavior, environmental valuation anomalies, and food choice patterns contributed foundational insights to behavioral theory. The field’s practical orientation led to early identification of key anomalies, including the endowment effect, adoption patterns, peer effects, other-regarding behavior and stigma effects. Through analysis of publication trends across five leading journals, we demonstrate steady growth in behavioral research. Finally, we examine institutional developments, including specialized research centers and policy applications, while acknowledging ongoing challenges regarding replication, external validity, and the limitations of nudge interventions, which provides fertile grounds for future research.