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Janet Carpenter

Senior Economist

Over my many years of work as an economist, I have learned that dialogue with clients, stakeholders, policymakers, and regulators is invaluable for providing information, real-world perspective, and nuance that is not available from any other source. These interactions help ensure that my analyses ring true with interested parties on all sides of an issue.


Janet Carpenter is an applied economist with 25 years of experience in food and agricultural research and policy issues, specializing in economic impact, biodiversity, and biosafety issues. She has analyzed the impacts of proposed and finalized regulatory actions and policy changes affecting the availability of agricultural technologies in domestic and international settings. Through this work, which often includes extensive interviews with stakeholders, Janet has developed an understanding of the value and limitations of current and proposed practices that informs her analyses of costs and benefits.

Janet’s experience prior to joining ERG includes positions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development, and National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy, followed by 15 years as a consultant whose clients included product developers, producers, industry associations, and regulators. Through this combination of public and private sector experience, she brings a balanced approach to her work at ERG.

Janet holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.S. in agricultural and resource economics from the University of Maryland-College Park, and an M.S. in data science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.