Rate My Professor Michael Burton

Associate Professor Michael Burton is affiliated with the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Western Australia. He earned a BSc from the University of Bath in 1981, an MA from the University of Manchester, and a PhD from the University of Manchester. His academic career started at the University of Manchester's Department of Agricultural Economics as a Research Associate from 1984 to 1985, followed by Lecturer from 1985 to 1996, and Senior Lecturer in the School of Economic Studies from 1996 to 1998. In 1998, he joined Agricultural and Resource Economics at The University of Western Australia, where he continues as Associate Professor. He is also associated with the UWA Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy, UWA Oceans Institute, and UWA Centre for Agricultural Economics and Development.

Burton's research specializations include agricultural policy, bio-economic modelling, commodity marketing, environmental economics and policy, natural resource economics and management, non-market valuation, sustainable resource management, and wildlife management. He employs quantitative approaches to valuing environmental resources, particularly in marine areas, alongside consumer demand analysis and farmers' adoption decisions. With 140 research outputs, including 125 refereed journal articles, 12 book chapters, and others, his scholarship has accumulated over 7,000 citations and an h-index of 41 on Google Scholar. Key publications encompass 'Constructing a farm level indicator of sustainable agricultural practice' (Ecological Economics, 2001; 726 citations), 'Contract cheating: A survey of Australian university students' (Studies in Higher Education, 2019; 582 citations), 'Risk, uncertainty, and learning in adoption of a crop innovation' (Agricultural Economics, 2005; 492 citations), 'Consumer attitudes to genetically modified organisms in food in the UK' (European Review of Agricultural Economics, 2001; 479 citations), 'The impact of BSE on the demand for beef and other meats in Great Britain' (Applied Economics, 1996; 388 citations), 'Analysis of the determinants of adoption of organic horticultural techniques in the UK' (Journal of Agricultural Economics, 1999; 367 citations), and 'Modelling the adoption of organic horticultural technology in the UK using duration analysis' (Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2003; 330 citations). He has secured grants from the Australian Research Council, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, and various state and national government agencies, including projects on marine biodiversity valuation, coastal values, recreational fisheries, and urban verge preferences. Burton has supervised 21 PhD students and nine master's students to completion, mentored numerous early-career researchers, and contributed to policy through collaborations like the UK's Enigma project on Campylobacter reduction. Awards include the 2021 AARES Distinguished Fellow, School of Agriculture and Environment Award for Research Mentorship (2023), Quality of Research Discovery Award (shared, 2021), Quality of Research Communication Award (shared, 2014), Best Paper in the European Review of Agricultural Economics (2010), and Prize Essay Competition of the Agricultural Economics Society (UK, 1982). Within AARES, he has served as WA branch Treasurer since 2002, co-organised annual conferences, and initiated the ARE at UWA YouTube channel hosting 132 seminars.