Suzette Pedroso Galinato

Suzette Pedroso Galinato is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Agricultural Economics at Washington State University's School of Economic Sciences within the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS). Appointed Assistant Professor in 2022 and promoted to Associate Professor in 2025, she bridges academic research with practical extension services focused on Washington State's specialty crop industries.

Her educational foundation includes:

• MA in Economics from Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada
• BS in Economics from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

Dr. Galinato's research program centers on sustainable agriculture economics, with deep expertise in production economics, farm management systems, and environmental valuation. She investigates economically viable pathways for adopting innovations like biodegradable mulches, mechanized harvesting, and precision pollination systems. Her work prioritizes practical applications for growers in berry, tree fruit, and hop production systems, translating complex economic models into actionable farm management tools through WSU Extension.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals dominant research themes in biodegradable mulch economics (5 of 15 articles), cider apple mechanization (3 articles), and blueberry pollination optimization (2 articles). Notably, 12 of 15 publications feature Washington-specific case studies, demonstrating her commitment to regionally relevant research. Her methodology consistently combines field trials with economic modeling to address real-world challenges in sustainable specialty crop production.

As Principal Investigator for USDA-funded initiatives including the $1.2M MulcH2O project on biodegradable hydromulches and the multi-institutional blueberry pollination optimization study, Dr. Galinato directs research translating scientific findings into practical extension tools. Her grant portfolio emphasizes collaboration across WSU's research centers and with industry stakeholders to ensure research directly impacts farming practices.

She co-leads the MulcH2O research consortium developing next-generation hydromulches and the Blueberry Pollination Optimization Team with Michigan State University partners. Her work is deeply integrated with WSU's IMPACT Center (where she served as Assistant Director 2018-2022) and the CAHNRS Extension network, maintaining direct connections to Washington's agricultural community through field demonstrations and producer workshops.