Welcome to Louis Dairy Economics Lab
Our mission is to share the latest research and news on dairy economics. Aiming to improve the financial & economics resilience of the U.S. dairy industry.
Labor & Automation
Labor challenges and retention, Automated Milking Systems (AMS), feeders, and washers.
Innovative Production
Sustainable agricultural practices
(byproducts, biodigesters, grazing),
and climate-smart technologies
Market Dynamics
Animal health and welfare, environ-mental policy, dairy programs, and milk pricing
Our Team
Meet our multidisciplinary team with partners across the globe
Activities & News
Get the latest updates on our recent activities and dairy-related news
Awards & Recognitions
Dr. Peña-Lévano received the 2026 AES Outstanding Young Researcher Award, a prestigious global honor recognizing his early-career research, leadership and impact.
Colton Adams | April 7, 2026
Participation at Events
Louis Lab has received funding by UC Davis Global Affairs Seed Grant to study Chile’s beef sector and its interconnection with, sustainability, trade, and market fairness.
Research presentations
Dairy farmers are facing low milk prices since mid-2025. We briefly explore the supply and demand dynamics behind this, as well as recent trends.
Colton Adams | February 27, 2026
Louis Lab & research partners have been awarded $588,600 in USDA–AFRI funding to develop a decision-support tool to strengthen dairy farm resilience.
Jose Briceño | February 24, 2026
Upcoming Events & Presentations
What we do
Our team staff specializes in Applied Economics, primarily focusing on Dairy Production,
Health, and Management Economics.
Our team is working on delivering extension outreach, writing reports, and developing financial tools that can be useful to dairy farmers.
Below you will find our extension bulletins, outreach efforts, financial documents, and reports, divided into four sections.
Avian Flu on Dairy Farms
The dairy industry faces a significant challenge: the avian flu can now affect dairy cows . This reel provides some explanations on the consequences of H5N1 on the dairy sector, based on our upcoming paper.
