About me
My research examines how social influences and economic incentives shape decision-making, addressing critical issues such as natural resource management, biodiversity loss, climate transition, poverty, and resilience. By integrating insights from behavioral, environmental, and development economics, I analyze the roles of social preferences, social norms, social capital, and pro-environmental behaviors in advancing sustainable development. ​Currently, I work as a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Economics and Management at Tilburg University and the Center of Sustainable Development Goals at Los Andes University.
Education
Ph.D. in Economics (2020), Los Andes University
M.Sc. in Economics (2018), Los Andes University
M.Sc. in Economics (2013). Pontifical Xaverian University
B.Sc. Environmental Studies (2007) Technological University of Pereira
Previous Affiliations
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2024-present. Postdoctoral Researcher.School of Economics and Management. Tilburg University. The Netherlands.
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2020-2023. Postdoctoral Researcher. Social Sciences Department. Wageningen University & Research. The Netherlands.
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2018-2020. Adjunct Researcher. Center for Development Studies (CEDE), Los Andes University. Bogotá, Colombia.
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2014-2020 Ph.D. at the School of Economics at Los Andes University.
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2018. Visiting researcher. School of sustainability. Arizona State University-ASU. Tempe (AZ)
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2007-2014. Associate consultant. Water and Sanitation Research Group (GIAS). Technological University of Pereira, Colombia.
Recent Publications
Wensing, J., Polman, D., Lopez-Rivas, JD., Cremades, R., and van Leeuwen, E. (2024). Green meal? The role of situational cues and normative goals for real-time vegetarian meal choices. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.10240
Lopez-Rivas, J. D., & Cárdenas, J.-C. (2024). What is the economic value of coastal and marine ecosystem services? A systematic literature review. Marine Policy, 161, 106033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106033
Lopez-Rivas, J. D. Spreading the Word! Spillover Effects of a Randomized Normative Informational Campaign on Residential Water Conservation. Last round of comments in the Journal of Resource and Energy Economics (August 2024). Working paper here.
Work in Progress
Effects of business training, reciprocity and loan repayment of microcredit lending in Colombia.
We explore the marginal effects of complementary business training on business performance
and loan repayment potential in borrowers from a microfinance institution. We also study
whether the effects of loan repayment are associated with borrowers’ feelings of reciprocity
toward the MFI and the overall value provided. Joint with Burak Urak (Williams College) and Francesco Cecchi (Wageningen University).
Carbon banking for small farmers in low-income countries.
We assess the impact of emerging carbon credit markets on livelihoods, farm management, and environmental outcomes for coffee farmers in Tanzania. Smallholders receive payments for the carbon fixed by trees in their plots, credits that are auctioned for companies to offset their impact. To do so, we evaluate an ongoing pilot using quasi-experimental techniques to measure short-term effects and design and evaluate a randomized control study conducted to study long-term effects with Erwin Bulte and Gerald Lesseri.
The effect of information transfer on food waste management in tourism firms: evidence from a field experiment
We design, implement, and evaluate the impacts of adopting management innovations on small and medium-sized restaurants to reduce food waste generation in Cusco (Peru). With Cesar del Pozo and Francisco Alpizar.
Citizens Preferences for Meat Reduction Policies
Citizens' support for policy bundles for meat reduction in the climate transition, we use a discrete choice experiment to determine the willingness to support a complex set of policies to reduce meat consumption and production in the Netherlands. With Joana Wensing, Daniel Polman
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