Best moment of #AARES2026!
And one of the two best AARES after-dinner speeches I can remember (the other was in 2019 😊).
At this point, @aares-org.bsky.social should seriously consider appointing @dpannell66.bsky.social as after-dinner speaker-at-large!
#AARES2026 highlight:
David Pannell performing three original songs honouring retiring #AARES members - Ben White, Steven Schilizzi, Michael Burton, David Pannell, John Quiggin, Kym Anderson, Quentin Grafton, Caroline Saunders, Rob Fraser
A tribute to scholarship & friendship
youtu.be/eAR-T246YDo
👏 Congratulations to @dpannell66.bsky.social, Robert Johnston, Michael Burton, Sayed Iftekhar, Abbie Rogers & Cheryl Day on winning the 2025 #AARES Quality of Research Discovery Award at #AARES2026 🎉🏆
For their paper "The value of value ...." in @jeem-econ.bsky.social
🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.je...
It’s the Journey, not the Destination: Driving through Preferences with AI-Generated Landscapes David Worden, Maksym Polyakov, Dan Richards, Michael Burton Understanding how the public values trees in pastoral landscapes is important for designing land management policies. To explore these preferences, we developed a novel choice experiment framed as a hypothetical road trip, where travel time was introduced as a potential “cost.” To implement this approach, we used generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools to create photorealistic images of grazing landscapes, systematically varying the extent, configuration, and species of trees while holding other features of the landscape constant. Analysis with latent class models revealed substantial heterogeneity in preferences. We identified five distinct classes. Some respondents treated travel time as a cost, while others were indifferent or even expressed positive preferences for additional travel time, indicating that the journey itself provides utility. Preferences for native trees were consistently positive across most classes, while views on the extent and configuration of tree cover diverged. Some classes preferred clusters or full planting, while others favoured more open, treeless landscapes. This study contributes in three ways: (1) it provides new insights into the diversity of public views on trees in pastoral landscapes, (2) it demonstrates how GenAI-generated imagery combined with road trip framing can enrich stated preference methods, and (3) it highlights important implications for valuation approaches that use travel costs by showing that in some contexts, travel time may represent a benefit rather than a cost.
Check out our #poster "It’s the Journey, Not the Destination: Driving through Preferences with AI-Generated Landscapes" -- winner of the #AARES2026 Poster Competition People's Choice Award 📌🏆
Full poster in PDF: osf.io/psfu9
#econsky #EnvironmentalEconomics
🔔 #AARES2026 closed on a high note in Adelaide, with the traditional bell-ringing by the outgoing and incoming Presidents Jeff Connor and Emilio Morales and celebration of this year’s award winners:
/1
Great #AARES2026 Special Session: “From Trees to Reefs: Landholder Preferences for Environmental Programme Design.”
Three synthesis papers (by Sayed Iftekhar, John Rolfe and myself), moderated by @soradatapsuwan.bsky.social
Lots of insights on designing better environmental programmes 🌱🌊
#econsky
#AARES2026 Presidential Address by Professor Jeff Connor: The Productivity and Wellbeing Value of Collegiality, Cooperation, and Collaboration
Great to participate in #AARES2026, share my research, learn new things, and reconnect with colleagues from AU
#econsky
The 70th AARES #AARES2026 Conference kicked off in Adelaide!
📸 Welcome to Country – honoring the Traditional Custodians.
📸 SA Minister for Primary Industries – highlights innovation and sustainable primary industries
📸 AARES President Jeff Connor opens the conference by ringing the famous cowbell 🛎️
It was great to join pre-conference #AARES2026 6K run along spectaculat River Torrens under the leadership of experienced #AARES runners Lin Crase and @johnquiggin.bsky.social
#econsky
🎓 The #AARES South Australian Branch invites students and early career researchers presenting at the #AARES2026 Conference to apply for Student Conference Awards
📅 Applications close 27 February 2026
👉 Details and how to apply: mailchi.mp/aares.org.au...
#econsky
⏰ Another week to register for #AARES2026!
📅 Registration extended till Saturday, 31 January 2026
👉 Register here: aares2026.net/registration...
📘 Conference program: aares2026.net/conference-p...
⏰ Just one week left to register for #AARES2026!
📅 Registration closes Friday, 23 January 2026
👉 Register here: www.aares2026.net/registration...
📘 Conference program: www.aares2026.net/conference-p...
Looking forward to attending the #AARES2026, catching up with friends and colleagues and sharing my own research
📢 The AARES 2026 Conference Program is now live!
Explore sessions, keynotes, and events on the conference website:
www.aares2026.net/conference-p...
The program may be subject to minor updates.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to Adelaide in February 2026 🇦🇺✨
#AARES2026 #AgEcon #econsky
⏰ 2 days left! Early bird registration for #AARES2026 is closing soon.
Join us for cutting-edge research in agricultural & resource economics and world-class keynote speakers!
👉 Register now: www.aares2026.net/registration...
#Adelaide #BusinessEventsAdelaide #AdelaideConventionCentre
⏰ Reminder: Early bird rates end soon!
📅 Make sure you register for #AARES2026 before 31 December 2025 to take advantage of early bird pricing www.aares2026.net/registration...
👋 Heading to #AARES2026 in Adelaide? Don’t miss our pre-conference field trips!
🌄 Feb 8: Adelaide Hills history & Waite ag precinct tour lnkd.in/g7u_CKfF
🍺 Feb 10: #Beeronomics brewery tour lnkd.in/gguQV7uD
Conference Registration 👉 lnkd.in/g7xNKxFJ
With #AARES2026 registration open, check out our pre-conference workshops on Tuesday 10 Feb 2026:
🌏 Climate Resilience & Sustainable Rural Transformation (9am–4pm) lnkd.in/g_RpQ5NE
🔄 Transformations in Agriculture & the Environment under Uncertainty (10am–4pm) lnkd.in/gm_NB2Jj
Are you an early-career researcher heading to #AARES2026?
Don’t miss the Early Career Economics Research Workshop on 9 Feb
A full day of mentoring 👥, skills sessions 📘, publishing & grant advice ✍️, networking 🤝
Learn more www.aares2026.net/early-career...
📢 Registration for the 70th Annual AARES Conference #AARES2026 is now open!
ℹ️ Follow this link for more information mailchi.mp/aares.org.au...
Register here 👉 www.aares2026.net/registration...
#econsky #Adelaide #BusinessEventsAdelaide #AdelaideConventionCentre
📢 #AARES invites submissions for its 2025 Quality of Research Discovery and Quality of Research Communication awards
Each award: AU$500
Winners announced at the #AARES2026 Conference
⌛ 15 Nov 2025
📧 office@aares.org.au
👉 mailchi.mp/aares.org.au...
One day till submission deadline #econsky #AARES2026
🚨 Take Note: #AARES2026 Abstract Submissions deadline has been extended!
⏳ Friday, 10 October 2025 (you've got one more week!)
ℹ️ Details and Submission guidelines: lnkd.in/gd64V8zi
#Adelaide #BusinessEventsAdelaide #AdelaideConventionCentre
⏳ New Zealand agricultural and environmental economists: one week till the submission deadline
#econsky #AARES2026
🚨 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS 🚨
#AARES invites nominations for student awards:
🏆 Best Postgraduate Thesis Award
📅 Nominations close: 15 November 2025
🌱 Student Research Awards
📅 Branches must notify AARES of winners by 15 December 2025.
🔗 Learn more: mailchi.mp/aares.org.au...
#econsky #AARES2026
✈️ AARES/NZARES Travel Award – supports a NZ-based #AARES member to attend #AARES2026 in Australia.
✅ NZ$1,500 travel/accom grant
✅ Free reg, dinner & events
📅 Apply by 30 Sept 2025
Details: mailchi.mp/aares.org.au...
#NZARES #Agriculture #Environment #Economics #econsky
