Nelson Villoria

Nelson B. Villoria is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University. His research focuses on the intersections of international trade, development, and environmental sustainability, particularly addressing climate impacts on global agricultural systems and land-use policy. He holds a B.S. in Agronomist from Universidad Central de Venezuela (1995), M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University (2000), and Ph.D. from Purdue University (2009).

Major research areas include climate-driven cropland changes, trade frictions and food price stability, and policies to mitigate deforestation. His work emphasizes spatially explicit data analysis, leveraging tools like GTAPShape and FlexAgg2.0 for geospatial modeling. Recent studies explore how technological progress and trade policies influence global land-use patterns and food security.

Publications highlight themes such as yield variability under climate change, land supply elasticity, and the leverage of trade agreements (e.g., EU policies on Brazilian deforestation). His contributions bridge theoretical frameworks with applied policy analysis, often using computable general equilibrium (CGE) models and geospatial data infrastructure.

Villoria has held roles like Associate Director for Educational Outreach at Purdue’s Center for Global Trade Analysis. His research consistently addresses global sustainability challenges through interdisciplinary approaches, integrating economics, environmental science, and geospatial technologies.