
Dr Alec Zuo
Associate Professor
School of Economics and Public Policy
Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
A/Prof. Alec Zuo is an applied economist specialising in agricultural, environmental, and resource economics. Alec’s research has addressed issues and questions that are fundamental to UN Sustainable Development Goals and Australian National Research Priorities. He is also a part of the Water, Environment and Food economics policy group (WEF) in the School of Economics and Public Policy.
His research has contributed significantly to understanding the impact of climate change and resources on irrigation farming, farmer adaptation strategies, and market-based instruments for water resource management. His research has been published in leading international journals (e.g., Global Environment Change, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, European Review of Agricultural Economics, Energy Economics, etc.) and he has collaboration with researchers from over 20 organisations worldwide on agricultural, resource, environment and development issues across 11 countries in four continents. Alec has substantial experience in initiating and managing large research projects. His research has been funded by the Australian Research Council (currently an ARC Future Fellow), the Australian National Commission for UNESCO, the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, the Australian Consumer & Competition Commission, and the Murray Darling Basin Authority.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2019 - ongoing Associate Professor University of Adelaide 2015 - 2018 Senior Research Fellow The University of Adelaide 2014 - 2015 Senior Research Fellow The University of South Australia 2009 - 2013 Research Fellow The University of South Australia 2007 - 2009 Research Associate The University of South Australia -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2004 - 2007 University of South Australia Australia PhD 2000 - 2003 Lingnan University Hong Kong Bachelor in Business Administration (First Honour) -
Research Interests
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Journals
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Book Chapters
Year Citation 2023 Tan, Y., & Zuo, Z. (2023). Rural Age Pensions and Rural-Urban Migration in China. In X. Deng, K. Fraser, & J. Shen (Eds.), Ageing in China: What does it mean for the Job Market? (pp. 107-127). Singapore: Springer.
Scopus12022 Xu, Y., Wheeler, S. A., & Zuo, A. (2022). Heterogenous Impacts of Climate on Agricultural Industries Farm Exit Patterns in the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia. In The Palgrave Handbook of Climate Resilient Societies: Volumes 1-2 (Vol. 1, pp. 579-602). Springer International Publishing.
2021 Xu, Y., Wheeler, S., & Zuo, Z. (2021). Heterogenous Impacts of Climate on Agricultural Industries Farm Exit Patterns in the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia. In R. Brears (Ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Climate Resilient Societies (1 ed., pp. 1-24). Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.
2017 Tan, Y., Zuo, A., & Watson, A. (2017). Rural age pensions and rural to urban migration in China. In M. Griffiths (Ed.), China’s Urban Challenges in the 21st Century: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. 2016 Haensch, J., Wheeler, S., & Zuo, A. (2016). The contribution of spatial analysis to water management: a case study of the MDB, Australia. In J. Daniels (Ed.), Advances in Environmental Research (Vol. 51, 1 ed., pp. 77-102). New York: Nova Science. 2014 Bjornlund, H., Zuo, A., Wheeler, S., & Xu, W. (2014). Exploring the reluctance to embrace water markets in Alberta, Canada. In K. Easter, & Q. Huang (Eds.), Water markets for the 21st century: what have we learned? (Vol. 11, pp. 215-237). Netherlands: Springer.
Scopus82012 Wheeler, S. A., Zuo, A., & Bjornlund, H. (2012). Selling water for the environment: how sustainable is it for irrigators?. In H. Bjornlund, C. Brebbia, & S. Wheeler (Eds.), Sustainable Irrigation and Drainage IV: Management, Technologies and Policies (Vol. 168, pp. 29-40). WIT Press.
2012 Zuo, A., Wheeler, S., Bjornlund, H., & Shanahan, M. (2012). The association between farm management strategies and irrigators’ farm profits over time in the Murray-Darling Basin. In H. Bjornlund, C. A. Brebbia, & S. Wheeler (Eds.), Sustainable Irrigation and Drainage IV: Management, Technologies and Policies (Vol. 168, pp. 447-458). WIT Press.
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Conference Papers
Year Citation 2012 Lu, Z. -H., & Zuo, A. (2012). Child disability, welfare payment, family structure and the mother’s labor supply. Econometric Society. 2011 Zuo, A., Wheeler, S., & Bjornlund, H. (2011). Analysing the drivers of irrigator drought strategies in the Southern Murray Darling Basin. In WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment Vol. 145 (pp. 597-607). WIT Press.
Scopus12011 Bjornlund, H., Zuo, A., Parrack, C., Wheeler, S., & de Loë, R. (2011). Water reallocation policies: Public perceptions. In WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment Vol. 145 (pp. 585-595). WIT Press.
Scopus22011 Wheeler, S., Lane-Miller, C., Zuo, A., & Bjornlund, H. (2011). Factor analysis identifying key values held by South Australian and Victorian irrigators in a time of severe drought. In WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment Vol. 145 (pp. 609-620). WIT Press.
2008 Wheeler, S., Bjornlund, H., Shanahan, M., Zuo, A., & others. (2008). Modelling the Demand for Water Entitlements in the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District of Australia. In M. Lambert, T. M. Daniell, & M. Leonard (Eds.), Proceedings of Water Down Under 2008 (pp. 170-178). Adelaide, Australia: Engineers Australia; Causal Productions. 2008 Wheeler, S., Bjornlund, H., Shanahan, M., & Zuo, A. (2008). Factors influencing water allocation and entitlement prices in the Greater Goulburn area of Australia. In Y. V. Esteve, C. A. Brebbia, & D. P. Rico (Eds.), WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment Vol. 112 (pp. 63-71). Univ Alicante, Alicante, SPAIN: WIT PRESS.
Scopus3 WoS2- Wheeler, S., Lane-Miller, C., Zuo, A., & Bjornlund, H. (n.d.). To Sell Water or Not to Sell Water to the Government: Exploring the Question Faced by Riverland Irrigators. -
Conference Items
Year Citation 2017 Haensch, J., Wheeler, S. A., & Zuo, A. (2017). The spatial distribution and determinants of stated price choices for water entitlement trading. Poster session presented at the meeting of 61th Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society. Brisbane. 2016 Haensch, J., Wheeler, S. A., Zuo, A., & Bjornlund, H. (2016). The Impact of water and soil salinity on water market trading in the Southern Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the Climate Adaptation 2016 Conference. Adelaide: NCCARF/CSIRO.
2013 Zuo, A., Nauges, C., & Wheeler, S. (2013). Water trading as a risk-management tool for farmers: new empirical evidence from the Australian water Market. Poster session presented at the meeting of The Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Inc. 57th Annual Conference Handbook. Sydney. -
Report for External Bodies
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Theses
Year Citation 2022 Kandulu, J. (2022). Improving the social welfare of rural households in South Asia and Africa through effective rural development interventions. (PhD Thesis, University of Adelaide). 2013 Bjornlund, H., Zuo, A., Wheeler, S., & de Loë, R. (2013). Water Reallocation Policies–The Importance of Rural and Urban Differences in Alberta, Canada. (PhD Thesis). 2012 Wheeler, S. A., Zuo, A., & Bjornlund, H. (2012). Selling water for the environment: how sustainable is it for irrigators?. (PhD Thesis). - Bjornlund, H., Zuo, A., Parrack, C., Wheeler, S., & de Loë, R. (n.d.). Water Reallocation Policies: Public Perceptions. (PhD Thesis). -
Working Paper
Year Citation - Nauges, C., Wheeler, S. A., Australia, S., & Zuo, A. (n.d.). TITLE: Elicitation of Murray-Darling Basin irrigators’ risk preferences from observed behaviour. -
Datasets
Year Citation - Zuo, A. (n.d.). Mango online seller Tmall.
- 2023
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Quantifying the economic and social impacts of drought in rural Australia, ARC Future Fellowship
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Enterprise choice and sequence strategies that drive sustainable and profitable southern Australian farming systems, GRDC
- 2022
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Impacts of changing water ownership and reforms on Australian water markets, ARC Discovery
- 2020
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Strengthening small-scale agricultural exports to China: Evaluation of two innovative marketing channels, Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
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Consumer preferences for three new mango varieties, an auction experiment, WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
- 2018
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Improving smallholder farmer incomes through strategic market development in mango supply chains in southern Vietnam, ACIAR
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Understanding parallel trade of Australian products to China, Federal Department of Agricultural, Water and the Environment
- 2017
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Challenges and opportunities for meeting requirements of China mango markets, ACIAR
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Value chain and policy interventions to accelerate adoption of Happy Seeder zero tillage in rice-wheat farming systems across the Indo-Gangetic Plains, ACIAR
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2016
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Increasing irrigation water productivity in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe through on-farm monitoring, adaptive management and agricultural innovative programs, ACIAR
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Efficient participatory irrigation institutions to support productive and sustainable agriculture in south Asia, ACIAR
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Developing a water market readiness framework, the Australian National Commission for UNESCO
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2023 Co-Supervisor Understanding agri-food products purchase behaviour in cross-border live streaming commerce Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Gengtao Liu 2023 Co-Supervisor Evaluating Extension Approaches for Smallhoder Dairy Value Chains in West Java, Indonesia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Vyta Hanifah 2023 Principal Supervisor Three Essays on Impact of Energy Financialization, Technology and Human Capital on the Environment Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mubeen Abdur Rehman 2023 Co-Supervisor Climate Smart Agricultural Technologies, Commercialization, and Nutrition in Rural Africa Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Tadiwos Zewdie Tiruneh 2023 Principal Supervisor Drought impacts in Australian rural and regional communities Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Jiaqi Fan 2022 Principal Supervisor Transforming to sustainable food consumption: an empirical study in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Thi Xuan Dieu Phan -
Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2019 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Investigating online market consumer behaviour through spatial, big data and machine learning approaches: cases in Daigou, e-commerce platform and NFT crypto market Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Wenzhu David Tang 2018 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Investigating Agricultural Innovation Platforms, Soil Moisture Monitoring Tools and Farm Adaptation Behaviour in Irrigation Schemes in Sub-Saharan Africa Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Fentahun Addis Abebe 2018 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Social licence in natural resource dependent industries: Improving understanding and integrating economic perspectives Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Nikki Dumbrell 2018 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Food System Transformation in Fiji: Exploring the Determinants of Diet Quality and Health Outcomes in Rural and Urban Households Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Anna Vicki Finizio 2017 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Examining the Spatial Influences of Natural Capital in the Australian Agricultural Landscape Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Maksuda Mannaf 2017 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Trade costs, trade facilitation, and agrifood exports in Central Asia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Alfinura Sharafeyeva 2017 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Improving the Social Welfare of Rural Households in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa through Effective Rural Development Interventions Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr John Kandulu 2016 - 2017 Co-Supervisor How Can the Global Food Security Challenges be Addressed in a Multilateral Trading System? Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Lakmini Priyanga Peiris Mendis 2016 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Understanding adaptation and water market behaviour of irrigators and non-landholder stakeholders in the Murray-Darling Basin Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Constantin Seidl 2015 - 2019 Principal Supervisor Impacts of Climatic Variability, Water Scarcity and Socio-Economic Demographics on Farmers' Mental Health in Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Sahar Daghagh Yazd 2015 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Examining the Importance of Spatial Influences on Irrigators' Water Trading Behaviour in the Southern Murray-Darling Basin Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Juliane Haensch
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Committee Memberships
Date Role Committee Institution Country 2021 - 2025 Member Steering Committee, Human Dimensions Research Coordination Program , FRDC Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Australia 2017 - ongoing Member Council of the Chinese Economics Society Australia The Chinese Economics Society Australia Australia 2014 - ongoing Treasurer Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society SA Branch - Australia
Connect With Me
External Profiles