Professor Renato Andrin (Rene) Villano

Chair, Research and Research Training Committee, UNE Business School - Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law; UNE Business School

Phone: +61 2 6773 2027

Email: rvillan2@une.edu.au

Biography

Rene Villano is a Professor of Economics focusing on the area of agricultural economics, applied econometrics, development economics, and socio-economics. His expertise and experience focused on the area of efficiency and productivity analysis; farming systems research; farmer behaviour & technology adoption; gender, poverty & food security; agribusiness supply chains; and impact analysis. He has over 20 years of experience in international development and led the socio-economics team of several large multi-disciplinary research for development projects in the Asia-Pacific and African region. He continues actively to collaborate with researchers and academics from these regions.

He is an educator and active higher degree research supervisor. He has successfully supervised to completion of more than 20 PhD and several dozens of Masters and Honours students. He continues and enjoys teaching in the area of business analytics and statistics, econometrics, and research methods. He was a recipient of the UNEs Awards for Teaching Excellence and the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (ALTC Citation). He is currently a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE).
He has published in leading international and regional journals. He was a former Assistant Scientist and Visiting Research Fellow at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at Los Baños, Philippines. He is also an Honorary Professor at Shandong Institute of Business and Technology, China. He was formerly an Associate Editor of the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics and currently on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics and the ASEAN Journal of Economics, Management, and Accounting.

Qualifications

BAgEc (Hons), PhD (NE), SFHEA

Awards

2017 Nominee - Australian Awards for Teaching Exellence
2016 Awardee - UNE Awards for Teaching Exellence

2016 Community Builder's Award - Education Category

2016 Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

2011 Australian Awards for University Teaching - Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Unit Monitoring Teaching Commendation (Various Years and Units)

2005 D.H. Drummond Prize for Best PhD Thesis in Economics

Teaching Areas

Teaching areas and award

Rene teaches undergraduate and postgraduate units within the UNE Business School. He has visited and taught in partner universities in China and Vietnam and is presently an Honorary Professor at Shandong Institute of Business and Technology, China. He has successfully supervised students in various degrees including Higher Degree Research (PhD; EdD, MPhil), Masters (MEcon; MEconRegDev) and Honours (BEcon; BAgEcon).

He was a recipient of the 2011 ALTC Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning.

Undergraduate Level

Business statistics
Introduction to business analytics
Introductory and applied econometrics
Efficiency and productivity analysis
Survey methods for business and economics
Econometric analysis of financial markets

Finance and risk management

HDR supervision topic areas

Applied econometrics in the area of microeconometric analysis and efficiency and productivity analysis in agriculture, education and local government
Development economics and impact assessment particularly in the area of poverty and food security, agricultural and rural development, gender issues and community development
Agricultural economics and agribusiness

Primary Research Area/s

Applied Economics; Applied Econometrics; Development Economics

Research Interests

Applied econometrics; agricultural economics; development economics; efficiency and productivity analysis; adoption studies, impact assessments; value chain analysis; poverty and food security analyses and socio-economics.

On-going and recent research projects.

Improving smallholder beef supply and livelihoods through palm-cattle system integration in Indonesia, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR – LS/2015/048), 2018-2021, Research Leader – Socio-Economics and Modelling.
Improving cattle production and smallholder livelihoods in crop-based farming systems in Indonesia, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR – LS/2015/047), 2018-2021, Research Leader – Socio-Economics and Gender.
High quality markets and value chains for small-scale and emerging beef cattle farmers in South Africa, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR – LPS/2016/276), 2016-2021, Research Leader – Social Science Team.
Understanding Farm-Household Management Decision making for Increased Productivity in the Eastern Gangetic Plains, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR – CSE-2012-108), 2018-2021, Agricultural Economist and Analyst.
Efficiency analysis of higher education in Vietnam
Decomposing productivity efficiency and productivity and impact assessment in rice farming
An integrated approach for systemic change and sustained development of the Papua New Guinea sweetpotato value chain, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR – ASEM-2011-048), Project Economist.
Updating a model of meat demand in Australia to test for the impact of MSA. Meat and Livestock Australia.
Australian Sheep Industry CRC ‘Benchmarking Australian Sheep

Research Supervision Experience

Student Supervision (PDF, 549.06 KB)

Publications

Journal Articles

Villano, RA, Magcale-Macandog, D., Acosta, L., Tran, CDTT, Eugenio, EA, Macandog, PB. (2020) Measuring disaster resilience in the Philippines: evidence using network data envelopment analysis, Climate and Development, 12(1), 67-79.

Koomson, I., Villano, R.A., and Hadley, D. (2020) Intensifying financial inclusion through the provision of financial literacy training: a gendered perspective, Applied Economics, 52(4), 375-387.

Koomson, I., Villano, R. A., & Hadley, D. (2020). Effect of Financial Inclusion on Poverty and Vulnerability to Poverty: Evidence Using a Multidimensional Measure of Financial Inclusion. Social Indicators Research, 1-27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-019-02263-0

Ting, SK., Villano, R.A, Dollery, B. (2020) Economies of scale in local government services: a meta analysis, International Journal of Service Management and Sustainability, 3(1), 1-28.

Ting, SK., Dollery, B. Villano, R.A. (2020) An empirical analysis of administrative economic efficiency in Sabah local government: a DEA application, International Journal of Service Management and Sustainability, 2(2), 74-91.

Nchinda, V., Hadley, D., Villano, R.A., Morales, E.L. (2020) Assessing the impact of adoption of improved seed yam technology in Cameron, The Journal of Developing Areas, 54(2), 15-30.

Asante, B., Temoso, O., Addai, K., Villano, R.A. (2019) Evaluating productivity gaps in maize production across different agroecological zones in Ghana, Agricultural Systems, 176, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2019.102650.

Tran, CDTT and Villano, RA. (2019) Environmentally-adjusted efficiencies of Vietnamese Higher Education Institutions: A Multi-stage Bootstrap DEA Method, International Journal of Operational Research, 36(3), 413-439.

Gong, T.C., Battese, G.E., Villano, R.A. (2019) Family farms plus cooperatives in China: Technical efficiency in crop production, Journal of Asian Economics, 64, 101129.

Villano, R.A., and Tran, C.D.T.T. (2019) Technical efficiency heterogeneity of tertiary institutions in Viet Nam: a metafrontier directional technology approach, Technological and Economic Development of Economy 25 (6), 1058-1080

Villano, R.A., and Tran, C.D.T.T. (2019) Survey on technical efficiency in higher education: A meta‐fractional regression analysis, Pacific Economic Review, DOI: 10.1111/1468-0106.12310.

Azeem, M.M., Baker, D., Villano, R.A., Mounter, S., & Griffith, G. (2019). Response to stockout in grocery stores: A small city case in a changing competitive environment. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 49, 242-252.

Villano, RA., Asante, BO, Bravo-Ureta, B. (2019), Farming systems and productivity gaps: Opportunities for improving smallholder performance in the Forest-Savannah transition zone of Ghana, Land Use Policy, 82, 220-227.

Tighe, A, Piggott, N.,Cacho, O., Mounter, S., Villano, R. (2019) Testing for pre-committed quantities of Australian meat demand, Australian journal of agricultural and resource economics , 2019, Vol.63(2), p.247-264

Asante, BO, Villano, RA (2019) Components Of Farm-Level Productivity In Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming Systems In Ghana: The Role Of Mix Efficiency, International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics,7 (1), 63-76.

Soriano, FA, Villano, RA, Fleming, EM, Battese, GE (2019) What's driving innovation in small businesses in Australia? The case of the food industry, Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 63(1), 39-71.

Gong, TC, Battese, GE, Villano, RA (2019) Should Smallholder Farming In China Be Discouraged? Panel Evidence from Anhui Province, The Journal of Developing Areas, 53(1), 33-49.

Villano, R.A., Tran, C.D.T.T. (2018) Performance of private higher education institutions in Vietnam: evidence using DEA-based bootstrap directional distance approach with quasi-fixed inputs, Applied Economics, 50(55), 5966-5978, DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2018.1488077.

Villano, R.A., Harrison, S., Lynch, G. and Chen, G. (2018) Linking early alert systems and student retention: a survival analysis approach, Higher Education, 76(5), 903-920, DOI:10.1007/s10734-018-0249-y.

Tran, C. D. T., & Villano, R. A. (2018). Measuring efficiency of Vietnamese public colleges: an application of the DEA‐based dynamic network approach. International Transactions in Operational Research, 25(2), 683-703.

Azeem, M.M., Baker, D., Villano, R.A., Mounter, S., & Griffith, G. (2018). Food shoppers’ share of wallet: a small city case in a changing competitive environment. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 43, 119-130.

Temoso, O., Hadley, D., & Villano, R. (2018). Sources of efficiency, productivity and output growth in Botswanan agriculture. Review of Development Economics, 22(3), 1105-1124, doi:10.1111/rode.12376

Tran, C-D.T.T. and Villano, R.A. (2018) Financial efficiency of tertiary education institutions: A second-stage dynamic network data envelopment analysis method, The Singapore Economic Review, 1-22, 10.1142/S0217590818500133.

Tighe, K., Cacho, O., Mounter, S., Villano, R., Ball, B., Pethick, D. and Fleming, E. (2018) Determinants of consumer willingness to pay for quality-graded Australian sheet meat, Animal Production Science, 58(9), 1692-1699, DOI: 10 1071/ANI5873.

Catubig, M. and Villano, R.A. (2017) Conditional cash transfer and school outcomes: an evaluation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Davao Oriental, Philippines, Asian Economic Journal, 31(4), 403-421.

Tighe, K., Cacho, O., Mounter, S., Villano, R., Ball, B., Pethick, D. and Fleming, E. (2017) Determinants of consumer willingness to pay for quality-graded Australian sheet meat, Animal Production Science, DOI: 10 1071/ANI5873.

Tran, C-D.T.T., Crawford, M. and Villano, R.A. (2017) Efficiency-based ranking: A case of Vietnamese public universities, Asian-African Journal of Economics and Econometrics (in print).

Tran, C-D., T.T. and Villano, R.A. (2017). Input Rigidities and Performance of Vietnamese Universities, Asian Economic Journal, 31(3), 253-273.

Tran, C-D., T.T. and Villano, R.A. (2017) An empirical analysis of the performance of Vietnamese higher education institutions, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 41:4, 530-544.

Asante, BO, Villano, RA, Battese, GB and Patrick, A. (2017) Impacts of exposure and access to seed on the adoption of dual-purpose cowpea and groundnut varieties in Ghana. Journal of Developing Areas, 51(3), 173-194

Tran, CDTT and Villano, RA. (2017) Environmentally-adjusted efficiencies of Vietnamese Higher Education Institutions: A Multi-stage Bootstrap DEA Method, International Journal of Operational Research (in print).

Asante BO, Villano, RA, Patrick, I, and Battese, GB (2017) Determinants of Farm Diversification in Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming Systems in Ghana, Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 1-19, doi: 10.1017/S1742170516000545.

Fieger, P., Villano, R., Rice, J., and Cooksey, R. (2017), Two dimensional efficiency measurements in vocational education Evidence from Australia , International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 66 (2) pp. 196 - 215, http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-09-2015-0139

Nchinda, V., Villano, R.A, Hadley, D. and Morales, LE. (2016) Performance of smallholder seed yam enterprises in Cameroon, African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Vol. 11(4), pp. 277-291.

Villano, RA, Chang, HS, Kewa, J. and Irving, D. (2016) Factors affecting consumers’ willingness to pay for good quality sweetpotato in Papua New Guinea Australasian Agribusiness Review, Vol. 24, Paper 3, pp. 1-17.

Temoso, O., Villano, R.A. and Hadley, D. (2016) ‘Evaluating the productivity gap between commercial and traditional beef production systems in Botswana’, Agricultural Systems, 149, 30-39.

Tran, C.D.T.T., and Villano, R.A. (2016). An empirical analysis of the performance of Vietnamese higher education institutions. Journal of Further and Higher Education. doi:10.1080/0309877X.2015.1135886.

Temoso, O., Hadley, D., and Villano, R.A. (2016). Performance measurement of extensive beef cattle farms in Botswana. Agrekon, doi:10.1080/03031853.2015.1116399.

Fieger, P., Villano, R., & Cooksey, R. (2016). Efficiency of Australian technical and further education providers. International Journal of Training and Research. Retrieved from http://dx/doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2016.1152030

Tran, C.D.T.T., & Villano, R.A. (2015). Measuring efficiency of Vietnamese public colleges: an application of the DEA-based dynamic network approach. International Transactions in Operational Research, 1-21. doi:10.1111/itor.122212

Villano, R., Bravo-Ureta, B., Solis, D., and Fleming, E. (2015). Modern rice technologies and productivity in the Philippines: Disentangling technology from managerial gap. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 66(1), 129-154.

Villano, R., Khruethai, P., and Fleming, E. (2015). Policy Options to Improve Performance of Housewife’s Groups in the Cottage Food Industry in Thailand. Australasian Agribusiness Review, 23 (Paper 4), 36-55.

Grant, B., Mounter, S., Fleming, E., Griffith, G., and Villano, R. (2015). The Australian wine industry at the crossroads: a comparison of performance across major wine-exporting countries in 2000. Australasian Journal of Regional Studies, 21(1), 3-25.

Kramol, P., Villano, R., Kristiansen, P., and Fleming, E. (2015). Productivity differences between organic and other vegetable farming systems in Northern Thailand. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 30(2), 154-169.

Fleming, E., Mounter, S., Grant, B., Griffith, G., and Villano, R. (2014). The new world challenge: performance trends in wine production in wine-exporting countries in the 2000s and their implications for the Australian wine industry. Wine Economics and Policy, 3, 115-126.

Ting, S.K., Dollery, B., and Villano, R. (2014). Administrative scale economies in local government: an empirical analysis of Sabah municipalities, 2000-2009. Urban Studies, 51(13), 2899-2915.

Asante, B., Villano, R., and Battese, G. (2014). The effect of the adoption of yam minisett technology on the technical efficiency of yam farmers in the forest-savanna transition zone of Ghana. African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 9(2), 75-90.

Tozer, P., and Villano, R. (2013). Decomposing productivity and efficiency among Western Australian grain growers. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 38(3), 312-326.

Hadley, D., Fleming, E., and Villano, R. (2013). Is input mix-inefficiency neglected in agriculture: a case study of pig-based farming systems in England and Wales. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 64(2), 505-515.

Villano, R.A., Khrueatha, P., and Fleming, E. (2013.). Does a rising ride lift all boats? The case of vertical strategic alliances involving housewives groups in northern Thailand. ASEAN Journal of Economics, Management and Accounting, 1(1), 66-80.

Fleming, E., Villano, R., and Williamson, B. (2013). Structuring exotic options contracts on water to improve the efficiency of resource allocation in the Australian water market. Australian Agribusiness Perspectives, Paper 96, 1-24.

Sefriadi, H., Villano, R., Fleming, E., and Patrick, I. (2013). Production constraints and their causes in the cacao industry in West Sumatra: From the farmers' perspective. International Journal of Agricultural Management (in press).

Kramol, P., Villano, R., Kristiansen, P., and Fleming, E. (2013). Productivity differences between organic and other vegetable farming systems in Northern Thailand. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. doi:10.1017/S1742170513000288

Villano, R.A., Fleming, E.M. and Fleming, P. (2012). Variations in regional productivity in Australian wool production. Australian Farm Business Management Journal, 9(2), 1-12.

Ellahi, M., Fleming, E., and Villano, R. (2012). Spatio-temporal growth in livestock productivity in Pakistan. Sarhad Journal of Agriculture, 28(2), 311-317.

Mariano, M., Villano, R., and Fleming, E. (2012). Factors influencing farmers' adoption of modern rice technologies and good management practices in the Philippines. Agricultural Systems, 110, 41-53.

Teerakul, N., Villano, R., Wood, F., and Mounter S. (2012). A framework for assessing the impacts of community-based enterprises on household poverty. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 6(1), 5-25.

Khrueathai, P., Untong, A., Kaosa-Ard, M., and Villano R. (2012). Measuring operation efficiency of Thai hotels industry: Evidence from meta-frontier analysis. Journal of European Economy, 11, 202-217.

Mariano, M., Villano, R.A., and Fleming E. (2011). Technical efficiency of rice farms in difference agro-climatic zones in the Philippines: an application of a stochastic metafrontier model. Asian Economic Journal.

Mariano M., Villano, R.A., and Fleming, E. (2010). Are irrigated farming ecosystems more productive than rainfed farming systems in rice production in the Philippines? Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 139 (2010), 603-610.

Villano, R.A., Boshrabadi, M.H., and Fleming, E. (2010). When is metafrontier analysis appropriate?: an example of varietal differences in pistachio production in Iran. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology.

Ellahi, M., Fleming, E., and Villano, R.A. (2010). Explaining inter-provincial inequality in productivity growth in crop production in Pakistan. Spatial Economic Analysis, 5(4), 441-461.

Byrnes J, L Crase, B Dollery and RA Villano (2010) 'The relative economic efficiency of urban water utilities in regional New South Wales and Victoria', Resource and Energy Economics.

Villano RA, E Fleming and P Fleming (2010) 'Evidence of farm-level synergies in mixed-farming systems in the Australian Wheat-Sheep Zone' Agricultural Systems, 103, pp. 146-152.

Wijeweera A, RA Villano and B Dollery (2010) 'Economic Growth and FDI Inflows: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis'. The Journal of Developing Areas, 23(2), 143-158.

Villano RA, E Fleming and H Rodgers (2009) 'Productivity returns to resources in the beef enterprises on Victorian Farms in the South-West Monitor Project', Australian Farm Business Management Journal, 6 (2), 88-88.

Nonthakot P and RA Villano (2009) 'Impact of labour migration on farm efficiency: evidence from maize farming in northern Thailand', Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development, Vol. XIX, No.2, 1-16.

Byrnes J, L Crase, B Dollery and RA Villano (2009) 'An analysis of the relative efficiency of wastewater utilities in Non-Metropolitan New South Wales and Victoria', Australasian Journal of Regional Studies, 15 (2), 153-169.

Fleming, E, RA Villano and Fleming, P. (2009) 'Do Synergies exist in Australian sheep production?', International Journal of Wool and Sheep Science, 57 (1), 1-10.

Chang C, RA Villano, ML Velasco, NL De Castro, and AL Lambio (2008) ' Duck egg production in the Philippines: results from a farm Survey', Philippine Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 45, 95-108.

Chang, C and RA Villano (2008) 'Technical and socio-economic constraints to duck production in the Philippines: a productivity analysis', International Journal of Poultry Science, 7 (10): 940-948.

Nonthakot P, RA Villano and E Fleming (2008). 'Can strategic alliances in food processing increase the technical efficiency of housewives groups in Thailand?' Journal of Chain Network Science 8, 83-92.

Boshrabadi HM, RA Villano and E Fleming (2008) 'Technical efficiency and environmental technology gaps in wheat production in Kerman Province of Iran: a meta-frontier analysis', Agricultural Economics 38, pp. 67-76.

Boshrabadi HM, RA Villano and E Fleming (2007) 'Production relations and technical inefficiency in pistachio farming systems in Kerman Province of Iran', Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, Vol. 17, No.2, pp. 141-155.

Villano RA, MP Lucas and S Pandey (2006) 'Technical efficiency in intensive rainfed cropping systems in northwest Luzon, The Philippines: a stochastic distance function approach', The ICFAI Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. III, No.4, pp. 18-33.

Villano RA and E Fleming (2006) 'Technical inefficiency and production risk in rice farming: evidence from Central Luzon Philippines", Asian Economic Journal, Vol. 20, No.1, pp. 29-46.

Fleming E, T Farrell, RA Villano and P Fleming (2006) 'Is farm benchmarking the new acceptable face of comparative analysis?' Australasian Agribusiness Review, Vol.14. No. 12.

Lucas MP, S Pandey, RA Villano, D Culanay and S Obien (1999) 'Site characterization and economic evaluation of cropping systems in rainfed lowlands of Ilocos Norte, Philippines', Experimental Agriculture, Vol. 35, pp.211-224.

Pandey SP, P Masicat, L Velasco and RA Villano (1999) 'Risk Analysis of Rainfed Rice Production Systems in Tarlac Central Luzon', Experimental Agriculture Vol. 35, pp. 225-237.

Villano RA, ML Drilon and AB Davidson (1996) 'Spatial Equilibrium Model of the Corn Trade in the Philippines' Australasian Journal of Regional Studies Vol.2 No.2, pp. 189-208.

Book Chapters

Villano, R., Fleming, E. and Moss, J. (2016). Spatial econometric analysis: Potential contribution to the economic analysis of smallholder development. In Huynh, V-N, Kreinovich, V. and Sriboonchitta, S. (Eds.), Causal Inference in Econometrics (pp. 29-55). Springer International, Cham, Switzerland.

Chang, C., Irving, D., and Villano, R.A. (2013) 'Identifying socioeconomic constraints to improving sweetpotato quality postharvest management in Papua New Guinea: preliminary results from a farm survey; in Hickey, G. (ed.) 'Socio-economic Agricultural Research in Papua New Guinea', Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, pp. 48-66.

Singh, H., Pandey, S. and Villano, R.A. (2000) 'Rainfed rice, risk and technology adoption: micro-economic evidence from Eastern India' in Toung, T.P. et al. (eds), Characterizing and Understanding Rainfed Environments, IRRI, Los Baños, Philippines, pp. 323-338.

Lucas, M.F., Pandey, S., Villano, R.A., Culanay, D. and Marcos, T.F. (2000) 'Economics of intensive rainfed lowland rice-based cropping systems in northwest Luzon, Philippines' in Toung, T.P. et al. (eds), Characterizing and Understanding Rainfed Environments, IRRI, Los Baños, Philippines, pp. 391-406.

Pandey, S., Naik, D., Behura, D.D. and Villano, R.A. (2000) 'Drought risk, farmer's coping mechanisms and poverty: A study of rainfed rice system in eastern India' in S. Peng and B. Hardy (eds.), Rice Research for Food Security and Poverty Alleviation, IRRI, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.

Pandey, S. Pal, S. and Villano, R. (2001) 'Growth and variability of rice production in eastern India' in Program Report for 2000 International Rice Research Institute ', IRRI, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, pp. 26-28.

Research Reports

Fleming, E., Villano, R., Farrell, T. and Fleming, P. 2007, Efficiency and Productivity Analysis, Final Report on Benchmarking Sub-Project, Australian Sheep Industry CRC, Armidale.

Fleming, E., Villano, R., Farrell, T. and Fleming, P. (2005), Efficiency and Productivity Analysis: Report on a Benchmarking Sub-Project, Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre, Armidale.

Pandey, S., Barah, BC., Villano, RA. and Pal, S. (2000) Risk Analysis and Management in Rainfed Rice Systems, Limited Proceedings of the IRRI/NCAP Workshop on Risk Analysis and Management in Rainfed Rice Systems, 21-23 September, 1998. National Center for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, New Delhi India, Los Baños, Philippines (International Rice Research Institute).

Pandey, S., Naik, D., Behura, D.D. and Villano, R.A. (2000) 'Economic Cost of Drought and Farmers' Coping Mechanisms: A Study of Rainfed Rice Systems in Eastern India'. Discussion Paper Series No. 39, International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna.

Conference Papers

Villano, R., Fleming, E., and Moss, J. (2016, January). Spatial econometric analysis: Potential contribution to the economic analysis of smallholder development. Invited paper to the 9th International Conference of the Thailand Econometric Society. Chiang Mai.

Villano, R., Fleming, E., and Moss, J. (2016, January). Spatial stochastic frontier models: Potential contribution to the economic analysis of smallholder development. Contributed paper to the Western Economic Association 12^th International Conference. Singapore.

Asante, B., Villano, R., Patrick, I., and Battese, G. (2016, February). Diversification and Productivity in Crop-livestock Farming Systems in the Ghana Forest Savannah Agro-eco-logical Zone. Paper presented at the 56th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society. Canberra.

Laurie, S., Villano, R., and Mounter, S. (2016, February). An ex-ante evaluation of the potential implications of solar farms for Australian cattle graziers. Paper presented at the 56th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society. Canberra.

Rola-Rubzen, F., Villano, R., Hardaker, B., and Brito, M.F.E. (2016, February). Adoption of Integrated Crop Management Technology in Smallholder Rice Production in Timor Leste. Paper presented at the 56th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society. Canberra.

Petentsebenkwange, N., Hadley, D., Villano, R., and Morales, E. (2016, February). Performance of smallholder seed yam farm enterprises in Cameroon. Paper presented at the 56th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society. Canberra.

Temoso, O., Villano, R., and Hadley, D. (2016, February). Diversification and Productivity in Crop-livestock Farming Systems in the Ghana Forest Savannah Agro-eco-logical Zone. Paper presented at the 56th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society. Canberra.

Kondo, K., Fleming, E, Cacho, O., and Villano, R. (2016, February). A bioeconomic analysis of wild dog management in northern NSW livestock industries. Paper presented at the 56th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society. Canberra.

Asante, B., Villano, R., Battese, G. and Patrick, I. (2015) Determinants of crop-livestock diversification among smallholders in Ghana. Contributed paper to the 59th Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Rotorua New Zealand, 10-13 February.

Bui, Q.M., Cacho, O., Villano, R. and Hadley, D. (2015) Rubber farmer preferences for adaptive measures to climate change: a case study in southeast Vietnam. Contributed paper to the 59th Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Rotorua New Zealand, 10-13 February.

Temoso, O., Hadley, D. and Villano, R. (2015) Technical efficiency and technology gaps for extensive beef farms in Botswana. Contributed paper to the 59th Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Rotorua New Zealand, 10-13 February.

Tighe, K., Mounter, S., Villano, R., and Fleming, E. (2015) Key determinants of Australian consumers' willingness to pay for quality graded sheep meat. Contributed paper to the 59th Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Rotorua New Zealand, 10-13 February.

Villano, R., Chang, C. and Irving, D. (2014) An evaluation of market participation among smallholder sweetpotato farmers in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, Selected paper at the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences International Congress, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, 8-10 November.

Temoso, O., Hadley, D. and Villano, R. (2014) Agricultural productivity, efficiency and growth in a semi-arid country: case study of Botswana, 1979-2012. Paper presented at the Asia-Pacific Productivity Conference, Brisbane, 8-11 July.

Asante, B., Villano, R.A., Battese, G. (2013) Effect of adoption of yam minisett technology on technical efficiency of yam farmers in the forest savanna transition zone of Ghana, Contributed paper to the 57th Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Sydney, 5-8 February.

Villano, R., Bravo-Ureta, B., Fleming, E. and Solis, D. (2012) Modern rice technologies and productivity in the Philippines: Disentangling technology from managerial gaps, 8th Asia-Pacific Productivity Conference, KMITL, Bangkok Thailand, July 2012.

Kramol, P., Villano, R., Kristiansen, P. and Fleming, E. (2012) Adoption and performance of sustainable practices in vegetable production: Evidence from Northern Thailand, 8th Asia-Pacific Productivity Conference, KMITL, Bangkok Thailand, July 2012.

Khrueathai, P. and Villano, R. (2012) Measuring public sector efficiency of local government services in Northern Thailand: Evidence from meta-frontier analysis, 8th Asia-Pacific Productivity Conference, KMITL, Bangkok Thailand, July 2012.

Ting, S., Villano, R. and Dollery, B. (2012) An Analysis of Administrative Economic Efficiency of Local Government in Sabah, Malaysia, 8th Asia-Pacific Productivity Conference, KMITL, Bangkok Thailand, July 2012.

Villano R, Fleming E and Mariano M (2011) 'Decomposition of productivity and efficiency indicators in Philippine rice farming: evidence from farm-household level data'. Accepted paper for presentation at the XII European Workshop on Efficiency and Productivity Analysis, Verona, June 21-24.

Villano R, Fleming E and Mariano M (2011) 'Decomposing Productivity Change in Philippine Rice Farming: A Non-Parametric Approach. Invited paper for presentation at the Western Economic Association International Pacific Rim Conference, Brisbane, 26-29 April.

Villano R, Mariano,M and Fleming E. (2011) 'Determinants of adoption of modern rice technologies and good management practices in the Philippines'. Paper presented at the 55th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society, Melbourne, 8-11 February 2011.

Tozer P and Villano R (2011) 'Decomposing productivity and efficiency in Western Australian grain producers'. Paper presented at the 55th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society, Melbourne, 8-11 February 2011.

Sefriadi H, Fleming E, Villano R and Patrick I (2011) 'The potential of cacao agribusiness for poverty alleviation in West Sumatra', Paper presented at the 55th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society, Melbourne, 8-11 February 2011.

Teerakul N, Villano R, Wood F and Mounter S. (2011) 'Use of principal component analysis in determining the poverty status of households in rural upper northern Thailand'. Paper presented at the 55th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society, Melbourne, 8-11 February 2011.

Kramol P, Villano R, Fleming E, Kristiansen P. (2010) 'Production efficiency and technology differences in 'clean and safe' vegetable farming systems in northern Thailand'. Paper presented at the Asia-Pacific Productivity Conference, Taiwan, July 2010.

Mariano M, Villano R and Fleming E. (2010) ' Spatial and temporal differences in Philippine rice productivity: a stochastic metafrontier approach'. Paper presented at the Asia-Pacific Productivity Conference, Taiwan, July 2010.

Nonthakot P, Fleming E and Villano R (2010) 'Impact of strategic alliances on the productivity of housewives groups in northern Thailand'. Paper presented at the Asia-Pacific Productivity Conference, Taiwan, July 2010.

Kramol P, Villano R, Fleming E, Kristiansen P. (2010) 'Technical efficiency and technology gaps on 'clean and safe' vegetable farms in northern Thailand: a comparison of different technologies' Paper presented at the 54th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society, Adelaide 10-12 February 2010.

Mariano M, Villano R, Fleming E and Acda R (2010) 'Metafrontier Analysis of Farm-level Efficiencies and Environmental-Technology Gaps in Philippine Rice Farming' Paper presented at the 54th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society, Adelaide 10-12 February 2010.

Teerakul N, Villano R, Wood F and Mounter S. (2010) 'A framework for assessing impacts of community-based enterprises on poverty reduction: a case study in northern Thailand' Paper presented at the 54th Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resources Economics Society, Adelaide 10-12 February 2010.

Kramol, P., Villano, R.A., Kristiansen, P. (2009) 'Clean and Safe' agriculture in northern Thailand: driving forces, current situation and' Paper presented at the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences (ISSAAS) Bangkok.

Nonthakot, P., Fleming, E. and Villano, R. (2008) 'An Assessment of the Impact of Strategic Alliances in Food Processing on the Technical Efficiency of Housewives Groups in Thailand' Accepted paper for presentation at XIIth Congress of the European Association of Agricultural Economists., 26-29 August, Gent-Belgium.

Chang, H.S., and Villano, R. (2008) 'Technical and socio-economic constraints to duck production in the Philippines: A Productivity Analysis', Paper presented at the Asia-Pacific Productivity Conference, 16-20 July, Taiwan.

Nonthakot, P., Villano, R. and Fleming, E. (2008) ' An analysis of Technical Efficiency and Strategic Alliances in Community-based Enterprises in Northern Thailand – A Stochastic Input Distance Function Approach', Paper presented at the Asia-Pacific Productivity Conference, 16-20 July, Taiwan.

Nonthakot, P., Villano, R. and Fleming, A. (2008). 'Can strategic alliances in food processing increase the technical efficiency of housewives groups in Thailand?'. Best paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Management in AgriFood Chains and Networks, 28-30 May, Netherlands.

Fleming, E., Villano, R. and Fleming, P. (2008) ' Evidence of scope economies in the Australian Wheat-Sheep Zone', Paper presented at the 82nd Annual Conference of the Agricultural Economics Society, 31 March to 2 April, Cirencester, UK.

Villano, R., Fleming, E. and Fleming, P. (2008) 'Measuring Regional Productivity Differences in the Australian Wool Industry: A Metafrontier Approach' Paper presented at the 52nd Annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Conference, 5-9 February, Canberra, ACT.

Villano, R., Fleming P, and Fleming, E. (2008),'Evidence of Scope Economies in Australian Agriculture'. Paper presented at the 52nd Annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Conference, 5-9 February, Canberra, ACT.

Williamson, B., Villano, R. and Fleming, E.(2008), 'Structuring Exotic Options Contracts on Water to Improve the Efficiency of Resource Allocation in the Water Spot Market', Paper presented at the 52nd Annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Conference, 5-9 February, Canberra, ACT.

Nonthakot., P. and Villano, R.A. (2008) 'Migration and Farm Efficiency: Evidence from Northern Thailand', Paper presented at the 52nd Annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Conference, 5-9 February, Canberra, ACT.

Wijeweera, A., Villano, RA., and Dollery, B. (2007), 'An Econometric Analysis of Economic Growth and FDI Inflows'. Paper presented at the Singapore Economic Review Conference, 2-4 August, Singapore.

Villano, RA., Fleming, E., and Fleming, P. (2007) 'Accounting for Environmental Differences in Efficiency Measurement in the Australian Wool Industry. Paper presented at the 10th European Workshop on Efficiency and Productivity Analysis, 26-30 June, Lille, France.

Villano, RA., Dollery, B., and Wijeweera, A. (2007) 'Economic Growth and Foreign Direct Investment'. Paper presented at the 10th European Workshop on Efficiency and Productivity Analysis, 26-30 June, Lille, France.

Villano, RA., Boshrabadi, H. and Fleming, E. (2007)' Analysis of Technical Efficiency and Varietal Differences in Pistachio Production in Iran: A Meta-Frontier Approach', Paper presented at the the 51st Annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, 13-16, February, Queenstown, New Zealand.

Rodgers, H., Griffith, G., Villano, RA., and Fleming, E. (2007) 'Market Differentials for Meat Quality Improvement: Meat Standards Australia', Paper presented at the the 51st Annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, 13-16, February, Queenstown, New Zealand.

Fleming E. and Villano, R.A. (2006) 'Accounting for Spatial Differences in Environmental Factors in Estimating Productivity Change', Paper presented at the 37th Annual Conference of Regional Science Association International, 15-17th August, Bangor Northern Ireland.

Fleming, E.M., Farrell, T., Villano, R.A. and P. Fleming (2006) 'Productivity Change in the Australian Sheep Industry – Revisited', Paper presented at the Annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, 6-10 February, Manly, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Rodgers, T., Fleming, E.M. and R.A. Villano (2006) 'Analysis of Price and Product Competition from Imports in the Preserved Mushrooms Market in Australia', Paper presented at the Annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, 6-10 February, Manly, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Villano, R.A. (2005) 'Estimating Risk and Efficiency in Agriculture', Poster paper presented at the International Society of Southeast Asian Agricultural Scientists Annual Convention, Tagaytay City, Philippines. October 26-29.

Villano, R.A., Lucas, M. and S. Pandey (2005) 'An Analysis of Scope Economies and Technical Efficiency in Intensive Rainfed Lowland Rice-based Cropping Systems in Northwest Luzon, Philippines' Paper presented at the Annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, 9-11 February, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia.

Kekha, A., Soltani, G.S. and Villano, R.A. (2005) 'Agricultural Risk Analysis in the Fars Province of Iran: A Risk-Programming Approach', Paper presented at the Annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, 9-11 February, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia.

Villano, R.A. (2003) 'Estimation of production risk, risk preferences and technical efficiency: An empirical application to the rainfed lowland rice environment in the Philippines', Paper presented at the 2003 PhD Conference in Economics and Business, Perth, Western Australia, 5-7 November 2003.

Villano, R.A., Battese, G.B, Fleming. E.M. and O'Donnell, C. (2003) 'An Investigation of Production Risk, Risk Preferences and Technical Efficiency in the Philippines', Paper presented at the Eight Workshop on Efficiency and Productivity Analysis, Oviedo Spain, 24-27 September 2003.

Villano, R.A., and Pandey, S. (2000) 'Technology adoption in the rainfed lowlands of Lao PDR: Implications for poverty alleviation Paper presented at the 16th International Farming Systems Association Symposium at Santiago, Chile, November 27-30, 2000.

Pandey, S., Singh, H.N. and Villano, R.A. (1999) ' Rainfed Rice and Risk Coping Strategies: Some- Microeconomic Evidences from Eastern India' Selected paper for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Agricultural Economics Association, 8-11 August 1999, Nashville Tennessee.

Naik, D., Pandey, S., Behura, D. and Villano, R.A. (1998) Risk and rice production of Orissa, eastern India, Paper presented at the IRRI/NCAP Workshop on 'Risk Analysis and Management in Rainfed Rice Systems', 21-23 September, 1998, New Delhi.

Bhomwick, B.C., Pandey, S., Villano, R.A. and Gogoi, J.K. (1998) 'Characterization of risk and strategies for management of risk in rice cultivation under flood prone situation of Assam', Paper presented at the IRRI/NCAP Workshop on 'Risk Analysis and Management in Rainfed Rice Systems', 21-23 September 1998, New Delhi.

Pandey, S., Singh, H. and Villano, R.A. (1998) 'Rainfed Rice and Risk Coping Strategies: Some Micro-economic Evidences from Eastern Uttar Pradesh', Paper presented at the IRRI/NCAP Workshop on 'Risk Analysis and Management in Rainfed Rice Systems', 21-23 September, 1998, New Delhi.

Villano, R.A. and S. Pandey (1998) 'Farmers perceptions and varietal adoption in the rainfed lowlands of Lao PDR', Paper presented at the 14th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Crop Science Society of the Philippines, 20-24 April, 1998 Cebu City.

Masicat, P., Pandey, S., Villano, R.A. and Lagasca, F. (1996) 'The economics of crop establishment methods in Iloilo', Paper presented at the 13th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Crop Science Society of the Philippines, May 1996, Davao City.

Working Papers

Byrnes, J., Crase, L., Dollery, B. and Villano, R. (2008) 'An Examination of the 'Skills Shortage' in Australian Local Government: The Case of Wastewater Service Provision in Regional New South Wales and Victoria', Working Paper No. 01-2008, Centre for Local Government, University of New England, Armidale.

Byrnes, J., Crase, L., Dollery, B. and Villano, R. (2007) 'Putting Water to Work – Urban Water Utilities in Regional New South Wales and Victoria' Working Paper No. 19-2007, Centre for Local Government, University of New England, Armidale.

Boshrabadi, H.M., Villano, RA., and Fleming, E. A. (2006) Technical Efficiency and Environmental-Technological Gaps in Wheat Production in Kerman Province of Iran: A Meta-Frontier Analysis, Working Paper Series in Agricultural Economics No. 2006-6, School of Economics, University of New England, Armidale.

Villano, R.A., Fleming, E.M., Farrell, T. and P. Fleming (2005) Changes in Technical Efficiency and Total Factor Productivity on Farms in the Farm Monitor Project in South West Victoria, 1994/1995 to 2003/2004. Working Paper Series in Agricultural and Resource Economics No. 2005-13, School of Economics, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.

Villano, R.A., O'Donnell, C.J and Battese, G.E. (2005) 'An Investigation of Production Risk, Risk Preferences and Technical Efficiency: Evidence from Rainfed Lowland Rice Farms in the Philippines', Working Paper Series in Agricultural and Resource Economics No. 2005-1, School of Economics, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.

Kekha, A., Soltani, G.S. and Villano, R.A. (2005) 'Agricultural Risk Analysis in the Fars Province of Iran: A Risk-Programming Approach', Working Paper Series in Agricultural and Resource Economics No. 2005-2, School of Economics, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.

Villano, R.A. and Fleming, E. (2004) 'Analysis of Technical Efficiency in a Rainfed Lowland Rice Environment in Central Luzon Philippines Using a Stochastic Frontier Production Function with a Heteroskedastic Error Structure'. Working Paper Series in Agricultural and Resource Economics 2004-15, School of Economics, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.

Refereed Conference Proceedings

Chang, C., Irving, D., Villano, R., Kewa, J., Anton, C. and Kol T. (2014) Consumer preference versus farmer preference for sweetpotato product attributes in Papua New Guinea, International Horticultural Congress, Brisbane, 17-22 August.

Fleming, E., Mounter, S., Grant, B., Griffith, G. and Villano, R. (2012), Losing its competitive edge? Australian wine performance in the noughties, 6th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists, 7-10 June, Princeton.

Villano, R.A., Fleming, E., Farrell, T. and Fleming, P. (2006), Productivity change in the Australian sheep industry revisited, Paper presented at the 26th International Conference of International Association of Agricultural Economists, Brisbane, August (in CD).

Villano, R.A., and Pandey, S. (2000) 'Technology adoption in the rainfed lowlands of Lao PDR: Implications for poverty alleviation ' Abstracts of paper presented at the 16th International Farming Systems Association Symposium at Santiago, Chile, November 27-30, 2000.

Memberships

Agricultural Economics Society - UK
Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society
Asia Pacific Association of Educators on Agriculture and Environment Inc
East Asian Economic Association * Economic Society of Australia
International Association of Agricultural Economists
International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences
International Data Envelopment Analysis Society

Consultancy Interests

Monitoring and evaluation, impact assessment of development projects and socio-economic studies.
Market and survey research.