Education

Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics received from Michigan State University, 1981.

M.A. in Economics received from Michigan State University, 1980.

Masters in Public Affairs (major: economic development) received from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, 1973.

B.A. in Anthropology (honors program completed with great distinction) received from the University of California (Berkeley), 1967. 

EMPLOYMENT: 

1990-present -- Professor (1996 to present), Associate Professor (1990-96), Interim Department Head (April 2023 to May 2024), Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Research and teaching areas include international agricultural trade, agricultural development, and economic policy.

          1999-2000 -- Faculty development leave (sabbatical) spent as Visiting Professor, Food                             and Resource Economics Department, University of Delaware. 

1983-1990 -- Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University.  Research and teaching areas included agricultural policy, international trade and economic development.

1981-1983 -- Assistant Professor, Institut de Gestion Internationale Agro- alimentaire, Cergy, France.  Research, consulting and teaching in agricultural policy, economic development and international agribusiness.

1975-1981 -- Research Assistant, Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University.  Research on returns to agricultural research, international trade and Spanish agricultural policy.

1974-1976 -- Assistant Director, Regional Economic Research and Documentation Center, Lome, Togo, West Africa.  Wrote and edited two monthly publications (in French and English) on labor economics in Africa.

1968-1971 -- Peace Corps Volunteer and Peace Corps Training Staff, Benin (West Africa), and U.S. Virgin Islands.  Agricultural development programs.

LANGUAGES:  

Fluent French, limited Spanish

Classes

-- AECN 346 World Food Economics 

-- AECN 367 Agricultural Development In Low-Income Countries 

-- AECN 445 Agricultural, Natural Resource, and Environmental Policy Analysis

--UHON 395h Capitalism and Democracy in the 21^st Century (honors seminar) 

Books

Peterson, E. Wesley F. A Billion Dollars a Day: The Economics and Politics of Agricultural Subsidies, Wiley-Blackwell, Malden, MA, 2009.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. The Political-Economy of Agricultural, Natural Resource, and Environmental Policy Analysis, Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA, 2001.

Refereed Journal Articles

O’Donnell, Emily, Lia Nogueira-Rodriguez, Cory Walters, E. Wesley F. Peterson, and Suat Irmak. “Economics of Deficit Irrigation Utilizing Soil Moisture Probes in the Western Corn Belt,” Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, (2023): 1 – 19.
Giri, Anil K., Dipak Subedi, E. Wesley F. Peterson, and Tia M. McDonald. “Impact of the Payroll Protection Program on U.S. Producers,” Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm and Resource Issues, Quarter 3, 2021.
Giri, Anil, E. Wesley F. Peterson, and Sankarp Sharma. “The Impact of the Market Facilitation Program on U.S. Soybean, Sorghum and Corn Producers,” Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm and Resource Issues, December 19, 2018.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. “Is Economic Inequality Really a Problem? A Review of the Arguments,” Social Sciences, 6 -147, (2017): 1- 25.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. “The Role of Population in Economic Growth,” SAGE open, October-December, (2017): 1 - 15.
Zenebe, Addisalem, Kassu Wamesho and E. Wesley F. Peterson (2015). "The Impact or the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA): An Empirical Analysis of Sub-Saharan Africa Agricultural Exports to the United  States," Journal of International Agricultural Trade and Development, Vol. 9, No. 2.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. (2015). "Trade Agreements: Impacts of the Uruguay Round and Prospects for the Future," Choices: the Magazine of Food, Farm and Resource Issues, Second Quarter, 30(2).
Huang, Rui, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, and E. Wesley F. Peterson, "Health and Growth: Causality through Education," China Agricultural Economic Review, Vol. 2, No. 3 (2010): 321-344.

Other Publications

Peterson, E. Wesley F. “Would Open Borders Lead to Reduced Global and Within-Country Inequality,” In Transitioning to Reduced Inequalities. Edited by Sabin Bieri and Christoph Bader. Transitioning to Sustainability Series 10; Basel: MDPI, (2023): 115 - 144.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. “Can Sanctions End Wars?” Clayton Yeutter Institute of Trade and International Finance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, June 16, 2023.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. “The Unintended Consequences of China’s One-Child Policy,” Cornhusker Economics, Department of Agricultural Economics, Nebraska Cooperative Extension, University of Nebraska, June 7, 2023.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. “The Global Food Crisis,” Saint Pierre Center For International Security, Guongdong, China, August 10, 2022.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. “The Coronavirus Pandemic and International Trade,” Cornhusker Economics, Department of Agricultural Economics, Nebraska Cooperative Extension, University of Nebraska, November 10, 2021.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. Book Review of Food Price Policy in an Era of Market Instability:  A Political Economy Approach, edited by Per Pinstrup-Andersen, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, May 25, 2015.
Khachaturyan, Marianna and E. Wesley F. Peterson. "Gender Inequality in the World and its Implications," Cornhusker Economics, Department of Agricultural Economics, Nebraska Cooperative Extension, University of Nebraska, January 14, 2015.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. "Food and Agricultural Trade and National Sovereignty," "WTO Dispute Settlement and Food and Agricultural Trade," and "Free Trade and Protectionism in Food and Agriculture," Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics, edited by Paul Thompson and David Kaplan, forthcoming.

Presentations

“The Changing Socio-Economic Scene in Africa,” Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), Lincoln, NE, March 3, 2021.
Brexit, the European Union and International Trade,” Capitol Forum program for high school social studies teachers & their students, sponsored by Humanities Nebraska with cooperation from the Nebraska Secretary of State, Lincoln, Nebraska, February 3, 2020.
“Trade Wars,” Boone County Home, Farm, and Garden Show, Albion, NE, March 23, 2019.
“Demographic Trends and Economic Growth,” Rationalists, Empiricists and Skeptics of Nebraska (REASON), Omaha, NE April 7, 2018.
“International Trade and Global Agricultural Markets,” Big Cob University Winter Session, Kearney, NE, February 21, 2018.
“Inequality: An Overview of the Main Issues,” Winter Lecture Series, Lincoln, NE, February 12, 2017.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. "U.S. and Global Economic Inequality," Golden K Kiwanis, Lincoln, NE, Aug. 26,   2014; Gateway Senior Living, Lincoln, NE, Oct. 17, 2014; Kearny Unitarian Universal Fellowship, Kearny, NE, March 15, 2015.
Peterson, E. Wesley F. " Huskers in Benin: A West African Odyssey," Executive Club of Lincoln, Lincoln,   NE, June 16, 2014; National Association for Active and Retired Federal Employees, Lincoln, NE, June 21, 2014; Lincoln Kiwanis, Lincoln, NE, July 17, 2104; Legacy Terrace, Lincoln, NE, Nov. 24, 2014, Bellevue-Offutt Kiwanis, Bellevue, NE, May 1, 2015; Northgate Garden Estates, Lincoln, NE, June 3, 2015.
Zenebe, Addisalem, E. Wesley F. Peterson and Kassu Wamisho. "The Impact of the African Growth and   Opportunity Act (AGOA): An Empirical Analysis of Sub-Saharan African Agricultural Exports," Annual Meetings, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), Minneapolis, MN, July 27, 2014.