CMCC@Ca’Foscari Seminar
1 October 2025, h. 11:30 CEST | In presence and online
CMCC Foundation – Edificio Porta dell’Innovazione – Piano 2, Via della Libertà, 12 – 30175 Marghera-Venice (VE), Italy

Speaker: Luis Peña-Lévano

We examine findings from a large-scale dairy producer survey on labor challenges and automation in California and Wisconsin–the two largest dairy states. We find that adoption of Automated Milking Systems (AMS) is primarily driven by labor shortages and operational efficiency but constrained by high upfront costs and uncertainty over long-term benefits. In addition to AMS, farmers are gradually implementing ancillary technologies such as automatic washers and cluster removers to further enhance efficiency and decrease labor reliance.

Dr. Luis Peña-Lévano is an Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension in Dairy Cattle Production, Health, and Management Economics at the University of California, Davis. His interdisciplinary research integrates dairy economics, farm financial management, agribusiness strategy, and mathematical optimization, with applications in sustainable dairy systems, animal health, automation, labor, and resilience strategies. He has led and collaborated on projects exceeding $2.5M in competitive funding from USDA, SARE, ERME, and other agencies.

As a consultant, Dr. Peña-Lévano has advised institutions and organizations, including the Inter-American Development Bank, Purdue University, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, focusing on sustainable livestock systems, financial planning, and strategic adaptation. He has published extensively in leading journals such as Environmental and Resource Economics (ERE), Agricultural Systems, and Choices, and has authored two textbooks on applied mathematics for economics. He has been recognized globally for his outreach and impact, receiving the 2025 IFAMA World Best Case, 2025 CWAE Mentorship and Outreach Early Career Awardee, the 2025 UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellowship, the 2023 IFAMA World Rising Star, 2020 Best Paper in Environmental & Resource Economics, the 2017 AFM Outstanding Young Scholar, among many others.