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Paul Wilson

Associate Professor of Management and Director, Rural Business Research Unit, Faculty of Science

Contact

  • workRoom 332 South Laboratory
    Sutton Bonington Campus
    Sutton Bonington
    Leicestershire
    LE12 5RD
    UK
  • work0115 951 6075
  • fax0115 951 6060

Expertise Summary

My research expertise focuses upon several key themes in agricultural and food economics. Understanding and analysing behavioural change in farm business management is achieved through analysis of data collected as part of the annual Farm Business Survey for England; particular interests are the economics of Farm Businesses in the East Midlands and the economics of dairy farming in England. Using data collected from farm survey data, my expertise using applied econometric techniques has focused upon understanding the influence of management, in relation to biographical and managerial practices, in explaining variation in technical efficiency in potato and wheat production. Adaptation to agri-environmental and market price signals form a further research theme in respect to behavioural change in the context of business management: in this area my research has focused upon applying mathematical modelling techniques to; determine optimal organic conversion strategies; examine rotational change and risk management in crop production; determine optimal milk production strategies; examine optimal responses to controlling negative externalities in crop production systems. Understanding consumer behaviour in relation to food purchase decisions, and explaining the economics of the food chain, including the degree to which retail food prices are influenced by changes in farm-gate prices, forms a further research interest that utilises both primary and secondary data sources in relation to food purchase decisions. The application of statistical and econometric models to analyse and predict depreciation in agricultural machinery is a research interest that has particularly immediate relevance to technology transfer to aid farm business management decision making.

Research Summary

Rural Business Research Unit

The Rural Business Research Unit (RBRU) undertakes a wide range of economic, management and environmental assessment studies. The Unit undertakes the contract for the Defra-funded Farm Business Survey (FBS) in England, as the lead Unit of Rural Business Research (RBR) - a totally independent consortium of leading academic units specialising in rigorous data collection and analysis on economic and environmental issues affecting rural businesses. RBR annually collects and analyses farm and household income data from approximately 1,900 farms across England. The RBRU at Nottingham collects and analyses data from approximately 270 of these farms situated in the East Midlands, and parts of the West Midlands and North West of England. The research findings provide feedback to participating farmers and are freely available to all through the Farm Business Survey Government Office Regional Reports, additionally, national results for use in Farm Business Benchmarking are available on-line, with Enterprise and Farm-Type reports forming a further research output with direct industry relevance. Research reviewing recent changes to the Farm Business Survey has highlighted the new possibilities that these important changes will bring for academic research and business management in practice including analysis of Gross and Net Margin data from the FBS.

The unit also undertakes further economic studies; examples include studies analysing the economics of production in combinable peas and field beans and potatoes as part of the series of Special Studies in Agricultural Economics as detailed in the RBRU Publications.

Economics and Efficiency in Crop Production

Using cross-sectional and panel data, my research has sought to estimate and explain variation in efficiency levels in potato and wheat production. The impact of agricultural policies and market prices on farm-level rotational decisions and industry supply of cereals has also been analysed. Research examining risk management in arable production under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy, funded by Defra, has recently been completed.

Economics of the Food Chain

Examining the impact of price transmission in the food chain has included an analysis of the impact of the foot and mouth disease outbreak on the price of beef, specifically measuring changes in the farm-retail marketing margin. Understanding consumer behaviour in relation to food purchase decisions forms a further research interest in collaboration with colleagues in Nutritional Sciences. With respect to the upstream food chain, the impact of input costs on farm level production is a crucial consideration; for example, depreciation in agricultural machinery accounts for a substantial percentage of overall production costs and recent research has sought to explain the factors affecting machinery depreciation and the implications of this for farm management accounting.

Agriculture and the Environment

Building upon previous research for the Home-Grown Cereals Authority to identify appropriate stockless organic conversion strategies, a recently completed joint crop science / management project examined the longer term impacts of organic conversion. Other research in the agri-environmental arena, with colleagues in both management and crop science sections, has examined the impact of farm-level strategies for decreasing nitrate loss to the environment. In conjunction with the University of Sheffield, and drawing upon data and expertise of the Rural Business Research Unit, a Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) funded project is currently analysing the sustainability of the hill farming economy and the impact of farm production decisions on upland landscapes and biodiversity.

Selected Publications

  • CLONAN, A, HOLDSWORTH, M, SWIFT, J, LEIBOVICI, D and WILSON, P, 2012. The dilemma of healthy eating and environmental sustainability: public understanding and consumption of fish Public Health Nutrition. 15(2), 277-284
  • WILSON, P., HARPUR, N. and DARLING, R., 2012. Explaining Variation in Farm and Farm Business Performance in Respect to Farmer Segmentation Analysis: Implications for Land Use Policies Land Use Policy. (In Press.)
  • ARMSWORTH, P.R., ACS, S, DALLIMER, M., GASTON, K.J., HANLEY, N. and WILSON, P., 2012. The cost of policy simplification in conservation incentive programs Ecology Letters. (In Press.)
  • GLITHERO, N., RAMSDEN, S.J. and WILSON, P., 2012. Farm systems assessment of bioenergy feedstock production: Integrating Bio-economic models and Life Cycle Analysis approaches Agricultural Systems. (In Press.)
  • WILSON, P, 2011. Determinants of the Farm Gate Price of Milk: Quantifying the Impact of Milk Contract and Selling Arrangements Journal of Farm Management. 14(3), 211-230
  • WILSON, P and LANG, B, 2011. Outreach Developments of the Farm Business Survey: An Overview by Rural Business Research Journal of Farm Management. 14(3), 243-248
  • MCHOUL, H, ROBERTSON, P and WILSON, P, 2011. Dairy Farming in England 2009/10 Rural Business Research.
  • WILSON, P, HARPUR, N and DARLING, R, 2011. Analysis of Farmer Segmentation across farms contributing to the Farm Business Survey: A Pilot Study Rural Business Research.
  • LAMPKIN, N, BAILEY, A, LANG, B, WILSON, P, WILLIAMS, A, SANDARS, D, FOWLER, S, GERRARD, C, MOAKES, S, MORTIMER, S, NICHOLAS, P and PADEL, S, 2011. The Potential for Extending Economic Farm-level Benchmarking to Environmental and Other Aspects of Farm Performance.: Final Report to Defra Food and Farming Groups, Project Number DO0103
  • GLITHERO, N, WILSON, P and RAMSDEN, S, 2011. Farm System Assessments of Bioenergy: Data, Models and Surveys In: Agricultural Research Modellers’ Group, 43rd Meeting.
  • WILSON, P, GLITHERO, N and RAMSDEN, S, 2011. Farm System Assessments of Bioenergy In: UK Monogram Network Workshop: University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus.
  • WILSON, P, HARPUR, N and DARLING, R, 2011. Explaining Variation in Farm and Farm Business Performance in Respect to Farmer Segmentation Analysis In: 85th Annual Conference of the Agricultural Economics Society, Warwick University.
  • WILSON, P, GLITHERO, N and RAMSDEN, S, 2011. Food Security Risks, Threats and Opportunities in an Energy Hungry World: Impacts of farm-level crop production decision making In: 4th McGill Global Food Security Conference, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
  • WILSON, P, GLITHERO, N and RAMSDEN, S, 2011. Farm System Assessments of Second Generation Bioenergy Feedstock Supply.: The Economics of Land Use and Energy Conference In: Jointly organised by the British Institute of Energy Economists and the Agricultural Economics Society, UK Energy Research Centre’s Meeting Place, Oxford, 25-26th October 2011.
  • WILSON, P (PI), 2011. Farm Business Survey 2009/10
  • WILSON, P, 2010. Estimating Tractor Depreciation: The Impact of Choice of Functional Form Journal of Farm Management. 13(12), 779-818
  • CLONAN, A, HOLDSWORTH, M and SWIFT J. AND WILSON, P., 2010. UK Consumers Priorities for Sustainable Food Purchases In: Agricultural Economics Society Conference, Edinburgh.
  • ACS, S, HANLEY, N, DALLIMER, M, GASTON, J. K, ROBERTSON, P and WILSON, P. AND ARMSWORTH, P., 2010. The Effects of Decoupling on Marginal Agricultural Systems: Implications for Farm Incomes, Land Use and Upland Ecology Land Use Policy. 27, 550-563
  • ROBERTSON, P and WILSON, P, 2010. Dairy Farming in England 2008/09 Rural Business Research.
  • WILSON, P and CHERRY, K, 2010. Analysis of Gross and Net Margin Data Collected from the Farm Business Survey in 2006/07 and 2007/08: Report submitted to DEFRA Farm Business Economics Division Rural Business Research.
  • WILSON, P and DARLING, R, 2010. Analysis of Milk Selling Arrangements on Dairy Farms in England: Report submitted to DEFRA Farm Business Economics Division Rural Business Research.
  • WILSON, P, 2010. Farm Business Survey: Results, Developments and Outreach In: Defra Agriculture in the United Kingdom Seminar.
  • GLITHERO, N, WILSON, P and RAMSDEN, S, 2010. Development of a model for Managing Energy and Emissions Trade-offs in Agriculture (MEETA) In: Scanning the Agricultural Horizon to 2050.
  • WILSON, P (PI), 2010. Farm Business Survey 2008/09
  • CLONAN, A, HOLDSWORTH, M and SWIFT, J. AND WILSON, P., 2009. Awareness and attitudes of consumers to sustainable food In: EurSafe Conference, University of Nottingham, 2-4 July 2009. In Millar, K., Hobson West, P., and Nerlich, B. (Ed) Ethical Futures: bioscience and food horizons. Wageningen Academic Publishers. 978-90-8686-115-6.. 205-210
  • CLONAN, A, HOLDSWORTH, M and SWIFT J. AND WILSON, P., 2009. Consumers and Sustainable Food: Awareness and Attitudes In: Agricultural Economics Society Conference, 31st March – 1st April, 2009, Dublin, Ireland.
  • ITUMOH, M and WILSON, P. AND RAMSDEN, S.J., 2009. Application of Triangular Distributions in a Data-Limited Environment. In: Agricultural Research Modellers’ Group, 41st Meeting, 3rd April, 2009. Royal Society, London.
  • ARMSWORTH, P, ACS, S, DALLIMER, M, GASTON, K, HANLEY, N, ROBERTSON, P, TINCH, D and AND WILSON, P., 2009. The Future of the Uplands: A Case Study of Agriculture and Biodiversity in the Peak District. In: Rural Economy and Land Use Programme conference – The Future of Rural Land Use. London 4th June 2009..
  • HANLEY, N, ACS, S, DALLIMER, M, GASTON, K.J, ROBERTSON, P and WILSON, P. AND ARMSWORTH, P., 2009. Linking Biodiversity, Land-Use and Incomes at the Farm Level: An Interdisciplinary Modelling Approach. In: Agricultural Economics Society Conference, 31st March – 1st April, 2009, Dublin, Ireland..
  • DALLIMER, M, ACS, S, HANLEY, N and WILSON, P. GASTON, K.J. AND ARMSWORTH, P.R., 2009. What explains property-level variation in avian diversity? An inter-disciplinary approach Journal of Applied Ecology. 46, 647-656
  • ROBERTSON, P and WILSON, P, 2009. Dairy Farming in England 2007/08 Rural Business Research.
  • WILSON, P, 2009. Analysis of Labour Usage Data from the Farm Business Survey 2004/05 to 2007/08.: Report submitted to DEFRA Farm Business Economics Division Rural Business Research.
  • WILSON, P (PI), 2009. Farm Business Survey 2007/08
  • ROBERTSON P AND WILSON P, 2008. Dairy Farming in England 2006/07 Available at: <http://www.ruralbusinessresearch.co.uk>
  • WILSON, P (PI), 2008. Farm Business Survey 2006/07
  • ROLLETT, A.J., SPARKES, D.L. and WILSON, P., 2007. The legacy of stockless organic conversion strategies Annals of Applied Biology. 150(1), 107-113
  • WILSON, P AND SPARKES, D.L., 2007. Carbon Footprint of Weed Control In: British Crop Production Conference, Peterborough 31st October, 2007.
  • RAMSDEN, S.J. AND WILSON, P., 2007. Modelling Risk in Farmer Decision Making. In: M. DONNATELLI, J. HATFIELD, A. RIZZOLI, ed., Farm Systems Design 2007: Int. Symposium on Methodologies on Integrated Analysis on Farm Production Systems 1 - Farm-regional scale design and improvement. La Goliardica Pavese. 37-38 (In Press.)
  • ROLLETT, A and WILSON, P. AND SPARKES, D.L., 2007. The Economic Legacy of Stockless Organic Conversion Strategies Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. 25(2), 103-122
  • ROBERTSON, P. AND WILSON, P., 2007. Dairy Farming in England 2005/06 Available at: <http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/rbru/publications.html>
  • WILSON, P., 2007. Impact of Taxation on Farm-Level Business Decision Making In: Tax and Tax Concessions - The Hidden Support for Agriculture?. (In Press.)
  • ROBERTSON, P and WILSON, P. AND HARPUR, N., 2007. Analysis of the Nature, Economic Contribution and Performance of Farming in the East Midlands, 2005-2006. Available at: <www.farmbusinesssurvey.co.uk>
  • WILSON, P., SEABROOK, M. and PRICE, R., 2006. Developments in National farm business data sources: implications and opportunities Farm Management. APR., 464-476
  • RAMSDEN, S. and WILSON, P., 2006. Managing Risk in UK Crop Production: A Pilot Study prepared for Defra University of Nottingham.
  • SPARKES, D., WILSON, P. and ROLLETT, A., 2006. Investigating the long term impact of organic conversion strategies
  • RAMSDEN, S. and WILSON, P., 2006. Are English farmers diversified enough? Risk management for combinable crops under the Mid Term Review In: Paper presented at the 80th Annual Conference of the Agricultural Economic Society, Paris, 30-31 March 2006..
  • WILSON, P. and ROBERSTON, P., 2006. Comparison of Gross and Net Margin Cereal and Oilseed Rape Data from Farm Business Survey and Special Study Sources
  • WILSON, P. AND ROBERTSON, P., 2006. Comparison of Enterprise Level Fixed Costs Data from Farm Business Survey and Special Study Sources: Milk Production, Lowland Beef, Pigs, Eggs and Broilers.
  • WILSON, P., 2006. Analysis of the philosophy, potential and practicality of One Planet Farming.
  • GIBBONS, J.M., SPARKES, D.L., WILSON, P. and RAMSDEN, S.J., 2005. Modelling optimal strategies for decreasing nitrate loss with variation in weather - a farm-level approach Agricultural Systems. 83(2), 113-134
  • HUXHAM, S.K., SPARKES, D.L. and WILSON, P., 2005. The effect of conversion strategy on the yield of the first organic crop Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 106(4), 345-357
  • WILSON, P., SEABROOK, M.F. and PRICE, R., 2005. Developments in the Farm Business Survey and Implications for Agricultural and Rural Economics Research In: Paper presented at the 79th Annual Conference of the Agricultural Economic Society, University of Nottingham, 4-6 April 2005.
  • HUXHAM, S.K., WILSON, P. and SPARKES, D.L., 2004. Economic analysis of conversion strategies for stockless organic production Biological Agriculture and Horticulture. 22(3), 289-303
  • WILSON, P. and TOLLEY, C., 2004. Estimating tractor depreciation and implications for farm management accounting Farm Management. VOL 12(NUMB 1), 5-16
  • WILSON, P., SEABROOK, M.F. and ROBERTSON, P., 2004. Analysis of Cattle and Sheep Prices
  • WILSON, P. and KINSELLA, L., 2004. The Impact of Foot and Mouth Disease on the Price of Beef Eurochoices. 3(3), 26-30
  • WILSON, P., GIBBONS, J. and RAMSDEN, S., 2003. The impact of cereal prices and policy on crop rotations and supply response Journal of Agricultural Economics. 54(2), 313-323
  • SPARKES, D.L., WILSON, P. and HUXHAM, S.K., 2003. Organic Conversion Strategies for Stockless Farming. Final Report submitted to HGCA Project 2313
  • WILSON, P., 2003. PAPERS FROM A MINI-SYMPOSIUM ON COMPETITION IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY: AN INTRODUCTION Journal of Agricultural Economics. VOL 54(PART 1), 85-88
  • HUXHAM, S.K., SPARKES, D.L. and WILSON, P., 2002. Organic conversion strategies for stockless farming systems In: Proceedings of the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. 51-52
  • WILSON, P., HADLEY, D. and ASBY, C., 2001. The influence of management characteristics on the technical efficiency of wheat farmers in eastern England Agricultural Economics. 24(3), 329-338
  • WILSON, P. and ROBERTSON, P., 2001. Economic Efficiency in Maincrop Potato Production in England and Wales Farm Management. VOL 11(NUMB 3), 163-176
  • RAMSDEN, S.J., GIBBONS, J., SPARKES, D.L. and WILSON, P., 2001. Predicting the Response of Farming Systems to Strategies for Controling Nitrogen Loss. Project number NT1844 submitted to DEFRA, October 2001.
  • LLOYD, T.A. and WILSON, P., 2001. Issues involved in the Evaluation of Generic Meat Advertising in the UK In: Agricultural Economics Society Conference. 10-13th September 2001, Harper Adams University College.
  • WILSON, P. and ROBERTSON, P., 2001. Economic Efficiency in Maincrop Potato Production in England and Wales. Report to the Input Task Force, MAFF, February 2001
  • WILSON, P. and ROBERTSON, P., 2001. The Economics of Potato Production in England and Wales (1999 crop) University of Nottingham, Nottingham.
  • RAMSDEN, S. J., WILSON, P. and GIBBONS, J., 2000. Adapting to Agenda 2000 on Combinable Crop Farms Farm Management. VOL 10(NUMB 10), 606-617
  • WILSON, P. and ROBERTSON, P., 2000. The Economics of Combinable Peas and Field Beans 1998 University of Nottingham, Nottingham.
  • WILSON, P., HADLEY, D. and ASBY, C., 2000. Identifying the audience and the media of communication: targeting technology transfer in the UK cereals industry Outlook on Agriculture. VOL 29(PART 3), 185-192
  • RAMSDEN, S., GIBBONS, J. and WILSON, P., 1999. Impacts of changing relative prices on farm level dairy production in the UK Agricultural Systems. VOL 62(NUMBER 3), 201-215
  • WILSON, P., 1999. Confidential report on Re-Sale Values in Agricultural Machinery to a Major UK Finance Institution
  • WILSON, P. and DAVIS, S., 1999. Estimating Depreciation in Tractors in the UK and Implications for Farm Management Decision-Making Farm Management. VOL 10(NUMB 4), 183-193
  • WILSON, P., HADLEY, D., RAMSDEN, S. and KALTSAS, I., 1998. Measuring and Explaining Technical Efficiency in UK Potato Production Journal of Agricultural Economics. VOL 49(NUMBER 3), 294-305
  • WILSON, P., HADLEY, D. and ASBY, C., 1998. Analysing the Impact of R&D and Technology Transfer in Cereal Production. Confidential report prepared for the HGCA. Universities of Nottingham and Cambridge
  • WILSON, P., 1998. The Influence of Management and Stockmanship in Milk Production. Report to the Milk Development Council. University of Nottingham

School of Biosciences

University of Nottingham
Sutton Bonington Campus
Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD

telephone: +44 (0)115 9516400
fax: +44 (0) 115 951 6020
email: biosciences-enquiries@nottingham.ac.uk