Nicholas Tyack

Nicholas Tyack is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Saskatchewan. His research focuses on the economic valuation of genetic resources, biodiversity conservation, and the diffusion of agricultural innovations. He holds the Van Vliet Professorship and has conducted field experiments in multiple countries, including the Czech Republic and Côte d’Ivoire. His work bridges experimental economics, behavioral approaches, and development economics to address challenges in sustainable agriculture and resource management.

• Education: Not explicitly listed in provided texts

His research interests include the economic impacts of genetic resource conservation, participatory varietal selection, and the role of crop wild relatives in climate adaptation. He employs experimental methods to study farmer decision-making and technology adoption. Recent work explores payment for ecosystem services frameworks for conserving crop wild relatives.

Key themes in his publications include valuing genebank activities, analyzing public preferences for biodiversity conservation, and evaluating participatory approaches in agricultural research. His 2024 study on African rice genetic resources highlights experimental methods to assess farmer preferences, while earlier work (2015) analyzes crop wild relatives under climate change.

• Awards: Best Ph.D. Presentation at Agricultural Economics Society Annual Conference (2021)

His research has been funded by institutions such as the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Genebank Impacts Fellowship, and the Fulbright Program. He has collaborated with organizations like AfricaRice and the Global Crop Diversity Trust. In 2022, he taught the course Innovation and Entrepreneurship (AREC230).

Key contributions include advancing methodologies for valuing genetic resources and demonstrating the importance of farmer involvement in crop variety development. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to address global challenges in food security and environmental sustainability.