The University of Western Australia

UWA Staff Profile


Ross Kingwell

Professor Ross Kingwell

Contact details

Address School of Agricultural and Resource Economics
The University of Western Australia (M089)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia
Phone 9368 3225
Fax 6488 1098

Biography

As an undergraduate I double-majored in agronomy and agricultural economics. The career options seemed greater in economics, so I switched towards economics, doing more pure economics units, a Masters and then a PhD. I'm enjoying economics! There are always interesting issues, interesting people and new things to learn.

Key research

  • Farming systems, bio-economic modelling, agricultural R&D policy, plant breeding, natural resource management

Major research interests

  • Agricultural policy
  • Bioeconomic modelling
  • Biofuels
  • Biotechnology and plant breeding
  • Farming systems analysis
  • Natural resource economics and management
  • Risk management
  • Sustainable resource management

Qualifications

MSc(Agric) PhD W.Aust.

Publications

From 1999,
Book Chapters

Kingwell, R. (1999) Optimal strategies for regional cultivar testing for various crops, Chapter 3, pp. 49-68, , in (Ed: R. Fraser and J. Taylor) Research Profile: Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Western Australia in 1999, pp. 348.

John, M., Pannell, D.J. and Kingwell, R. (2000) Modelling dryland salinity in Australia at the farm level: a conversation in need of a little salt, Chapter 13, pp. 247-266 , in (Ed: R. Fraser and J. Taylor) Research Profile: Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Western Australia in 2000, pp. 428.

Omuru, E. and Kingwell, R. (2000) Research priority-setting in Papua New Guinea: policies, methods and practicalities, Chapter 19, pp. 359-380, in (Ed: R. Fraser and J. Taylor) Research Profile: Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Western Australia in 2000, pp. 428.

Kingwell, R. (2000) Incentive design for introducing genetically modified crops, Chapter 21, pp. 395-406, in (Ed: R. Fraser and J. Taylor) Research Profile: Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Western Australia in 2000, pp. 428.

Plunkett, B. and Kingwell, R. (2001) New generation co-operatives in Australia: Principles and practicalities, Chapter 3, pp. 43-62, in (Ed: R. Fraser and J. Taylor) Research Profile: Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Western Australia in 2001, pp. 333.

John, M., Kingwell, R., Bathgate, A. and Pannell, D. (2001) The economics of lucerne as an option for dryland salinity control in low rainfall environments, Chapter 9, pp. 187-202, in (Ed: R. Fraser and J. Taylor) Research Profile: Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Western Australia in 2001, pp. 333.

Kingwell, R. (2003) Incentive design for introducing genetically modified crops, Chp 5 In (Eds: B.A. Babcock, R.W. Fraser and J.N. Lekakis) Risk Management and the Environment: Agriculture in Perspective, Kluwer Academic Publishers, the Netherlands, pp.204.

Kingwell, R. (2007) Institutional change and plant variety provision in Australia, Chapter 7, pp. 156-189 In (Ed: A. Usha) Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights – Policies and Legal Perspectives, Amicus Books, Icfai University Press, Hyderabad, India, pp.246.

Journal articles
Kingwell, R. (1999) Institutional and social influences on R&D evaluation in agriculture. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 43(1):115-128.

Schilizzi S. and Kingwell R. (1999). Effects of climatic and price uncertainty on the value of legume crops in a Mediterranean-type Environment. Agricultural Systems 60: 55-59.

Kingwell, R., Bathgate, A. and O'Connell, M. (1999) Wool in Western Australia - Research, Development and Extension, Australian Agribusiness Perspectives Vol 7, paper 12, at http://www.agrifood.info/review/1999/

Kingwell, R. (2000) Price risk management for Australian broadacre farmers: some observations, Australian Agribusiness Review Vol 8, paper No. 2. http://www.agrifood.info/review/2000/

Pannell, D., Malcolm, B. and Kingwell, R. (2000) Are we risking too much?; perspectives on risk in farm modeling and farm management. Agricultural Economics 23(1): 69-78.

Stewart,V., Marsh, S., Kingwell, R., Pannell, D., Abadi, A. and Schilizzi, S. (2000) Computer games and fun in farming systems education?: a case study, Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 7(2):117-128.

Kingwell, R. (2001) Charging for the use of plant varieties. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 45(2):291-305.

Kingwell, R., Godden, D., Kambuou, R. and Jackson, G. (2001) Managing and funding germplasm preservation in Papua New Guinea - for improved indigenous foods. Food Policy 26: 265-280.

Plunkett, B. and Kingwell, R. (2001) New Generation Co-operatives for agricultural marketing and processing in Australia: Principles, practicalities and a case study. Paper 9, Australian Agribusiness Review, http://www.agrifood.info/review/2001/

Kingwell, R. (2002) Issues for Farm Management in the 21st Century: A view from the West. Agribusiness Review Vol. 10, 2002, Paper 6, ISSN 1442-6951, http://www.agrifood.info/review/2002/

Kingwell, R. (2002) Sheep animal welfare in a low rainfall Mediterranean environment: A profitable investment? Agricultural Systems 74(2): 221-240.

Kingwell, R. (2003) Quality assurance certification and implementation: growers' costs and perceived benefits. Australian Agribusiness Review Volume 11 - Paper 1, January 9, 2003. http://www.agrifood.info/review/2003/

Kingwell, R. (2005) Future broadacre farming ystems - a personal view. Connections (autumn, 2005), http://www.agrifood.info/review/2005/

Kingwell, R. (2005) Institutional Change and Plant Variety Provisions in Australia. Australian Agribusiness Review Paper 5, February 25th, 2005, http://www.agrifood.info/review/2005/

Henderson, B. and Kingwell, R. (2005) Rainfall and farm efficiency measurement for broadacre agriculture in SW Australia, May 18th, 2005, Australasian Agribusiness Review, http://www.agrifood.info/review/2005/

Kingwell, R. and Pannell, D. (2005) Economic trends and drivers affecting the wheatbelt of Western Australia to 2030. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56:1-9.

John, M., Pannell, D. and Kingwell, R. (2005) Climate change and the economics of farm management in the face of land degradation: Dryland salinity in Western Australia. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 53: 443–459.

O’Connell, M., Young, J. and Kingwell, R. (2006) The economic value of saltland pastures in a mixed farming system in Western Australia. Agricultural Systems 89:371-389.

Omuru, E. and Kingwell, R. (2006) Funding and managing agricultural research in a developing country: a Papua New Guinea case study. International Journal of Social Economics 33(4):316-330.

Kingwell, R. (2006) Climate change in Australia: agricultural impacts and adaptation. Australian Agribusiness Review, Paper 1, Vol.14, pp.30. ISSN 1442-6951 http://www.agrifood.info/review/2006/

Kingwell, R. and John, M. (2007) The influence of farm landscape shape on the impact and management of dryland salinity. Agricultural Water Management 89, Issue 1-2, 29-38.

Kingwell, R. and Cook, S. (2007) Farmers’ attitudes and investment intentions regarding land drainage in a salinising Australian landscape. The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences 2(1):169-185.

Kingwell, R., John, M. and Robertson, M. (2008) A review of a community-based approach to combating land degradation: dryland salinity management in Australia. Environment, Development and Sustainability 10:899-912

Anderton, N. and Kingwell, R. (2008) Spatial and temporal aspects of grain accumulation costs for ethanol production: an Australian case study Biomass and Bioenergy 32: 109 – 119.

Kopke, E., Young, J. and Kingwell, R. (2008) The relative profitability of different sheep systems in a Mediterranean environment. Agricultural Systems 96:85-94.
Repacholi, S., Kingwell, R. and Doole, G. (2008) Drivers affecting the adoption of plant-based options to manage salinity. The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences 3, Issue 1:85-96.

Gibson, L., Kingwell, R. and Doole, G. (2008) The role and value of eastern star clover in managing herbicide-resistant crop weeds: a whole-farm analysis. Agricultural Systems 98: 199–207.

Robertson, M., Kingwell, R., Measham, T., O’Connor, M. and Batchelor, G. (2009) Constraints to farmers managing dryland salinity in the Central wheatbelt of Western Australia Land Degradation and Development 20: 235-251.

Kingwell, R. and Farre, I. (2009) Climate change impacts on investment in crop sowing machinery Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics53: 265-284.

Robertson, M. Measham, T., Batchelor, G. George, R., Kingwell, R. and Hosking, K. (2009) Effectiveness of a publicly-funded demonstration program to promote management of dryland salinity. Journal of Environmental Management Available on-line at (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WJ7-4WCK0D3-1/2/8403c834756876a47006e28048ab7f19)

Roles, responsibilities and expertise

Chief economist, Department of Agriculture & Food, Western Australia
President, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society

Future research

Outsourcing sheep management; Impacts of climate change on farming systems; Complexity in farm management; Economics of biofuels

Funding received

Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, "Implications of Climate Change for the Dryland Cereal Farm System". with D.A. Morrison, $51,500, 1992-1995.

Grains Research and Development Corporation, " The nature, use, cost and improvement of varietal testing information." with Prof R.K. Lindner, $ 85,900, 1995-1997.

Land & Water Resources Research & Development Corporation, "Innovative workshops for farm management of climatic variability", $52,000, 1998-2000.

Australian Research Council, SPIRT Grant, "Food safety policy and risk management: a case study of
genetically modified organisms." With A/Prof M. Burton, $64,000, 1999-2001.

Australian Research Council, SPIRT Grant, "Effects of strategic and tactical management on farm water use.", $64,000, 1999-2001.

Grains Research and Development Corporation, " The efficiency of western region grain growers", $ 99,300, 1999-2001.

Grains Research and Development Corporation, " Price Risk Management - Innovative training workshops for assessing packages on offer", $78,125, 2000-2002.

Grains Research and Development Corporation, "Economic evaluation of salinity management options in the cropping regions of Australia", $ 274,954, 2001-2002.

Land & Water Australia, “Changing the ownership-management paradigm in broadacre farming”, $130,386, 2007-2009

Rural Business & Development Corporation, “Changing the ownership-management paradigm in broadacre farming”, $15,000, 2007-2009

Industrial relevance

Eighty percent of my time is spent as the Chief Economist in the WA Department of Agriculture and Food. In this role I interact with a range of stakeholders in agriculture, agribusiness and natural resource management.

Languages

English

Memberships

Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society

Honours and awards

Eva Sobotka prize in agriculture,
Best article in the Review of Marketing and Agricultural Economics 1996 (co-authored with D. Pannell and S. Schilizzi,
Supervisor of AARES Best Masters thesis (Ben Henderson) 2003

Previous positions

Co-editor of the Australian Journal of Agricultural & Resource Economics (2004 to 2006)

Community Service



(i) served in several executive positions (including Treasurer and President) of the Western Australian Branch of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society and on its national council.

(ii) invited member and chair of the Australian Agricultural & Resource Economics Society’s PhD prize panel and co-editor of the AJARE (2004-2006).

(iii) referee for several national and international journals.

(iv) invited member of the Australian Farm Institute research advisory committee.

(v) recent submissions to Commonwealth Parliament inquiries including:

Science overcoming salinity: Coordinating and extending the science to address the nation’s salinity problem, House of Representatives, Standing Committee on Science and Innovation salinity inquiry, Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, May 2004.

Australia’s future oil supply and alternative transport fuels, The Senate, Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, September 2006.

Public Support for Science and Innovation, Productivity Commission Draft Research Report, November 2006.

(vi) radio interviews rural media to speak on various issues. Examples since 2005 are:

ABC NSW Country Hour radio 27/5/2005 interview on “R&D for agricultural sustainability”.

ABC WA Country Hour Radio 9/8/2005 interview with Kirstyn March on “changes to sheep management”.

ABC Radio National 31/8/2005 interview with ABC presenter Paul Barclay on “crude oil prices”

ABC WA TV Stateline 21/07/2006 “The family farm - Why some work and some don't”, interview with reporter Mark Bennett.

ABC 720 Radio 17/8/2006 interview with with Jane Grieve played on Eoin Cameron’s morning program on “innovative ways of managing drought”.

ABC WA Country Hour Radio 4/9/2006 interview with Jane Grieve on “deep drainage”.

ABC2 National TV replay 4/10/2006 “Family Farm” interview with reporter Mark Bennett.

ABC WA Country Breakfast radio “Future of farming in the northern agricultural region” 14/03/2007

Current external positions

Chief economist, WA Department of Agriculture & Food

New and noteworthy

In February 2009 voted President of the Australian Agricultural & Resource Economics Society

Current projects

Economic evaluation of biofuels
Impact of climate change on machinery investment
Adoption of plant-based options for managing salinity
Merits of interim policy change: the case of the Grain Licensing Authority
Value of the Grain Licensing Authority

Research profile