Associate Professor Adam Loch

Associate Professor Adam Loch
 Position Associate Prof/Reader
 Org Unit Centre for Global Food and Resources
 Email adam.loch@adelaide.edu.au
 Telephone +61 8 8313 9131
 Location Floor/Room 6 ,  Nexus 10 ,   North Terrace
  • Biography/ Background

     

    Dr Adam Loch is a Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow at the University of Adelaide. Prior to moving to South Australia Adam spent 10 years as a cotton grower and advocate for irrigators in Queensland and currently researches topics such as irrigator decision-making, water markets and institutional reform, transaction costs, and reallocation policy/program effectiveness.

    Adam holds a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) from Bond University, a Master of Marketing (M.Mkt) from Griffith University, a Master of Business (M.Bus) from Central Queensland University and a Ph.D from UniSA. He is the immediate past President of the South Australian branch of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society (AARES-SA), and a member of several professional associations including the American Agricultural and Applied Economics Society (AAEA), the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EERE) and the Economics Society of Australia (EcoSoc).

    Researcher ID

  • Qualifications

    B. Commerce, Bond University - 1994

    M.Mkt. Griffith University - 2000

    M.Bus. Central Queensland University - 2003

    Ph.D University of South Australia - 2012

  • Awards & Achievements

    2017: Executive Dean's Award for Excellence in Research, Faculty of the Professions, University of Adelaide

    2017: Outstanding Contribution in Reviewing Award, Journal of Hydrology

    2014: UniSA Business School Top Early Career Researcher Achievement in Research Excellence Award and member of the Top Research Team Achievement in Research Excellence Award.

    2013: Early Career Travel Award [to visit the Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology at the University of Alberta, Canada]

    2012: Ian Davey Research Thesis/UniSA Business School Best Thesis Prizes

     

  • Teaching Interests

    I course coordinate and teach AGRIBUS 7064 Water Security and Governance (post-graduate course, delivered in intensive mode). This course is an elective subject in the Master of Agribusiness and Master of Global Food programs.

    I am also course coordinating and teaching in AGRIBUS 7061 Research Project Part 1: Research Principles and Methods and AGRIBUS 7062A/B Research Project Part 2: Theoretical Frameworks and Research Design and AGRIBUS 7063 Research Project. These courses are core subjects in the Master of Agribusiness and Master of Global Food programs.

  • Research Interests

    Water markets

    Water reform

    Irrigation and farmer decision making

    Resource economics

    Water valuation

    Climate change adaptation

    Transaction cost economics

  • Research Funding

    2018 ACIAR SRA Project [CSE/2017/101 - $273,000] "Value chain and policy interventions to accelerate adoption of Happy Seeder zero-tillage in rice-wheat farming systems across the Gangetic Plains, India", project with Prof Wendy Umberger, Dr Jay Cummins and Dr Alec Zuo.

    2017 EU Centre for Global Affairs Annual Grant Program [$15,000] "Building lasting collaborative arrangements on water scarcity management between Australia and the EU". Project with Dr David Adamson (UQ) and Dr Dioni Perez-Blanco (FEEM Italy).

    2016 University of Adelaide Beacon Infrastructure funding [$29,596] "Mobile e-laboratory and decision simulation hardware". Project with Assoc. Prof Sarah Wheeler, Prof Wendy Umberger and Dr Daniel Gregg.

    2015-17 Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher (DECRA) Award [DE150100328 - $374,000]: "Minimising transaction costs in Murray-Darling Basin water reform".

    2016 Australian National Commission for UNESCO funding [$20,000] to explore a water market readiness framework in the United States, Spain, New Zealand and China (with Assoc Prof Sarah Wheeler, Dr Alec Zuo and Prof Mike Young).

    2015 University of South Australia Research Themes for Development Investment Funding [$35,000] for post-graduate scholarship support to explore ‘Can we ‘nudge’ consumer choices toward healthier locally produced food in supermarkets’ (in conjunction with Dr Svetlana Bogomolova, Prof Jon Buckley, Prof Larry Lockshin, Dr Herb Sorensen and Mr Graeme Longmuir).

    2014-16 Australian Research Council Discovery Grant award [DP140103946 - $172,000]: "Transitioning to a water secure future". Project with Dr Sarah Wheeler, Dr Dustin Garrick, Prof Peter Boxall, Prof Vic Adamowicz, Dr Alec Zuo and Prof Henning Bjornlund.

    2012 National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility Grant [SD11/16 - $200,000]: "Water trade, climate change and irrigator adaptability in the Murray-Darling Basin". Project with Dr. Sarah Wheeler.

  • Publications

    Journal publications:

    Mai, T. Mushtaq, S. Loch, A. Reardon-Smith, K. and An-do, D. 2019 A systems thinking approach to water trade: finding leverage for sustainable development, Land Use Policy, 82, 595-608.

    Loch, A. and Gregg, D. 2018, Salinity management in the Murray-Darling Basin: a transaction cost study, Water Resources Research, 54(11), 8813-8827.

    Wiebe, K. Brzezine, M. Gabrielyan, G. Libertini, J. Loch, A. Lord, S. Thapa-Parajuli, S. Vervoort, J. and Westhoek, H. 2018 Scenario development and foresight analysis: exploring options to inform choices, Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 43(1).

    Nguyen-Ky, T. Mushtaq, S. Loch, A. Reardon-Smith, K. An-Vo, D. Ngo-Cong, D. and Tran-Cong, T. 2018 Predicting water allocation trade prices using a hybrid artificial neural network-Bayesian modelling approach, Journal of Hydrology, 567, 781-791.

    Wheeler, S. Zuo A. and Loch A. 2018, Water torture: Unravelling the psychological distress of irrigators in Australia, Journal of Rural Studies, 62, 183-194.

    Horne, A. O'Donnell, E. Loch, A. Adamson, D. Hart, B. and Freebairn, J. 2018, Environmental water efficiency: Maximising benefits and minimising costs of environmental water use and management, WIREs Water, online DOI:10.1002/wat2.1285.

    Khong, T.D. Young, M. Loch, A. and Thennakoon, J. 2018, Mekong River Delta farm-household willingness to pay for salinity intrusion risk reduction, Agricultural Water Management, 200c, 80-89.

    Gomez, C.M., Pérez-Blanco, C. D., Adamson, D. and Loch, A. 2018, Managing water scarcity at a river basin scale with economic instruments, Water Economics and Policy, 4(1), 175004.

    Loch, A. Wheeler, S. and Settre, C. 2018, Private transaction costs of water trade in the Murray-Darling Basin, Ecological Economics, 146, 560-573. 

    Adamson, D. and Loch. A. 2018, Acheiving environmental flows where buyback is constrained, Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 6(1), 83-102.

    Bayer, R. and Loch, A. 2017, Experimental evidence on the relative efficiency of forward contracting and tradable entitlements in water markets, Water Resources and Economics, 20(Oct), pp. 1-15..

    Zeying, H. Loch, A. Findlay, C. and Wang, J. 2017, HPAI impacts on Chinese chicken meat supply and demand, World Poultry Sciences Journal, 73, pp. 543-558.

    Wheeler, S. Loch, A. Crase, L. Young, M. and Grafton, R.Q. 2017, Developing a Water Market Readiness Assessment framework, Journal of Hydrology, 552, pp. 807-820.

    Adamson, D. Loch, A. and Schwabe, K. 2017, Adaptation responses to increasing drought frequency, Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 61(3), pp. 385-403.

    Zeying, H. Loch, A. Findlay, C. and Wang, J. 2017, Adoption of HPAI biosecurity measures: the Chinese broiler industry, Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 16(1), pp. 181-189.

    Bogolomova, S. Loch, A. Lockshin, L. and Buckley, J. 2016 Consumer factors associated with purchasing local versus global value chain foods, Renewanle Agriculture and Food Systems, 33(1), 33-46.

    Loch, A. Boxall, P. and Wheeler, S. 2016, Using proportional modeling to evaluate irrigator preferences for market‐based water reallocation, Agricultural Economics, 47, pp. 387-398.

    Loch, A. and Adamson, D. 2015, Drought and the rebound effect: a Murray-Darling example, Natural Hazards, 79(3), pp. 1429-1449.

    Reardon-Smith, K. Mushtaq, S. Farley, H. Cliffe, N. Stone, R. Ostini, J. Doyle, J. Martin, N. Loch, A. Maraseni, T. Marcussen, T. & Lindesay, J. 2015, 'Virtual decisions to support climate change risk decision making on farms', Journal of Economic and Social Policy, vol. 17(2), article 7.

    Wheeler, S. Zuo, A. and Loch, A. 2015, Watering the farm: comparing organic and conventional water-use in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, Ecological Economics, 12, pp. 78-85.

    Reardon-Smith, K, Farley, H, Cliffe, N, Mushtaq, S, Stone, R, Doyle, J, Martin, N, Ostini, J, Maraseni, T, Loch, A & Lindesay, J 2014, The development of virtual world tools to enhance learning and real world decision making in the Australian sugar farming industry, International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning, vol. 7(3), pp. 17-23.

    Loch, A. Adamson, D. and Mallawaarachchi, T. 2014 Role of hydrology and economics in water management policy under uncertainty, Journal of Hydrology, vol. 518 (Part A), pp. 5-16.

    Wheeler, S. Loch, A. Zuo A. & Bjornlund, H. 2014 Analysising the adoption and impact of water markets in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, Journal of Hydrology, vol. 518 (Part A), pp. 28-41.

    Adamson, D. and Loch, A. 2014 Possible negative feedbacks from ‘gold-plating’ irrigation infrastructure”, Agricultural Water Management, vol. 145, pp. 134-144.

    Loch, A., Wheeler, S., Boxall, P., Hatton-MacDonald, D., Adamowicz, W. and Bjornlund, H. 2014. Irrigator budget preferences for water reform in the Murray-Darling Basin, Land Use Policy, vol. 36(1), pp. 396-404.

    Connor, J. Franklin, B. Loch, A. Kirby, M. and Wheeler, S. 2013. Trading water to improve environmental flow outcomes, Water Resources Research, vol. 49(7), pp. 4265-4276.

    Wheeler, S., Garrick, D., Loch, A. & Bjornlund, H. 2013, Evaluating water market products to acquire water for the environment in Australia, Land Use Policy, vol. 30(1), pp. 427-436.

    Loch, A. Bjornlund, H. Wheeler, S. and Connor, J. 2012, Water allocation trade in Australia: a qualitative understanding of irrigator motives and behaviour, Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, vol. 56(1), pp. 42-60.

    Loch, A. Bjornlund, H. & McIver, R. 2011, Achieving targeted environmental flows: Alternative allocation and trading models under scarce supply conditions with lessons from Australia, Environment & Planning C: Government & Policy, vol. 29(4), pp. 745 to 760.

    Loch, A. Bjornlund, H. and Kuehne, G. 2010, Water trade alternatives in the face of climate change, Management of Environmental Quality Journal, vol. 21(2), pp. 226 to 236.

    Books:

    Loch, A. Wheeler, S. Beecham, S. Edwards, J. Bjornlund, H. Zuo A. and Shanahan, M. 2013, The role of water markets in climate change adaptation, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, 126 pp. ISBN: 978-1-925039-01-6.

    Kuehne, G. Bjornlund, H and Loch, A. 2010, Why do farmers make non-profit decisions? Investigating decisions made during drought, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra, 130 pp. ISBN:978-1-74254-046-7.

    Book chapters:

    Perez-Blanco, C.D Adamson, D. and Loch, A. 2018 Economic Resilience, in: Vulnerability and Resilience to Natural Hazards, Fuchs, S. and Thaler, T. (eds.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, pp. 214-236.

    Palomo-Hierro, S., Settre, C., Loch, A. and Wheeler, S. 2016 Mercados de agua en Australia y California. ¿Qué podemos aprender de ellos?, in: Gomez-Limon, J.A. y Calatrava, J. (eds.): Los mercados de agua en España: Presente y perspectivas. Fundación Cajamar, Almería Spain, pp. 317-344.

    Wheeler, S Bark, R Loch, A and Connor J, 2015 Agricultural water management, in: Dinar, A and Schwabe, K (Eds.), Handbook of Water Economics, Edward Edgar Publishing, pp. 71-86.

    Wheeler, S, Loch, A & Edwards, J 2015, 'The role of water markets in helping irrigators adapt to water scarcity in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia', in Palutikof, JP, Boulter, SL, Barnett, J & Rissik, D (eds),Applied Studies in Climate Adaptation, Wiley Blackwell, West Sussex, pp. 166-174.

    Wheeler, S. Bjornlund, H. and Loch, A. 2014, Water trading in Australia: Tracing its' development and impact over the past three decades. In K.W. Easter and Q. Huang (eds.), Water Markets for the 21st Century: What have we learned?, Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 179-202.

    Loch, A. Wheeler, S. and Adamson, D. 2014 People versus place in Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin: Balancing economic, social-ecosystem and community outcomes. In Squires, V. Milner, H. and Daniell, K. (eds.), River basin management in the 21st Century: Understanding people and place, CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 275-303.

    Loch, A. 2014 Resilience in rural irrigation communities: requisite or redundant? In Giannino M. (ed.), Water management: Sustainable strategies, challenges and potential impacts on irrigation, Nova Scientific Publishing, New York, pp. 225-248.

    Loch, A. & McIver, R. 2013. The Murray-Darling Basin plan and public policy failure: a transaction costs analysis. In Bjornlund, H., Brebbia, C. & Wheeler, S. (eds.), Sustainable Irrigation and Drainage: Management, Technologies and Policies, WITPress, Southampton, pp. 481-494.

    Loch, A and Bjornlund, H. 2010 Trade Influences in Australian Allocation Market: Can Allocations Provide Environmental Water, in Brebbia, C., Marinov, A. and Bjornlund, H.(eds), Sustainable Irrigation III, Transaction on Ecology and the Environment, WITPress, Southampton, pp. 227-239.

    Rolfe, J. Loch, A. and Bennett, J. 2006, Testing benefit transfer with water resources in Central Queensland, Australia, in Choice Modelling and the Transfer of Environmental Values, Rolfe, J. and Bennett, J. (eds), Edward Elgar New Horizons in Environmental Economics, Cheltenham UK, pp.112-135.

    External links:

    Adam Loch Google Scholar page

    Adam Loch Scopus link

    Visit to download selected papers by Adam Loch

    ResearchGate link - Adam Loch

    ResearcherID link

  • Professional Associations

    Australian Agricultural & Resource Economics Society (AARES)

    Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE)

    European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE)

    Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA)

    Economics Society of Australia

    International Water Resources Association (IWRA)

  • Community Engagement

    Organisation Name:   Australian Agricultural & Resource Economics Society - SA Branch

    Level of involvement:   President

    Year from:   2014 to 2018

    Associated Role: Local Organising Committee Chair, 2018 Annual AARES Conference

    Year from: 2017 to 2018

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Entry last updated: Tuesday, 29 Mar 2022

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