Dr. Susanne Padel

Job title

Principal socio-economic researcher

Contact details

Email prefix: susanne.p (add suffix @organicresearchcentre.com)
Phone: +44 (0)1488 658298 - extn. 552
Postal address: Elm Farm, Hamstead Marshall, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 0HR

Academic qualifications

PhD: Padel, S. (2002) Conversion to Organic Milk Production: the change process and farmers' information needs; PhD thesis, Aberystwyth University.
Diplom Ingenieur Degree (equivalent Bachelor with honours) in General agriculture at the University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, leading to a Diplom Ingenieur with specialisation in animal production (Equivalent Bachelor with honours from 1982 from the University of Kassel, Witzenhausen.)

Main roles and responsibilities

Principal researcher and team leader for the socio-economics team

Research interests

Policy evaluation, organic certification, farm business management, markets and consumers and developing research and knowledge networks in support of the organic sector in Europe.

External activities

Collaboration with TP organics
Member of the steering committee of the BOBL project (Better Organic Business Links) of Organic Centre Wales
Input in teaching at postgraduate level at Scottish Agricultural College and University of Barcelona

Selected publications

Selected journal papers

Gerrard, C., Moakes, S. and Padel, S. (2012- accepted) The use of Farm Business Survey data to compare the environmental performance of organic and conventional farms. International Journal of Agricultural Management,

Gerrard, C.L., Smith, L.G., Pearce, B., Padel, S., Hitchings, R., Measures, M. (2012) The OCIS PG tool: A tool for assessing the Public Goods provision of a farm, Sustainable Agriculture Reviews. pp 1-22

Schmid, Otto; Padel, Susanne and Levidov, Les (2012) The Bio-Economy Concept and Knowledge Base in a Public Goods and Farmer Perspective. Bio-based and Applied Economics, 1 (1), pp. 47-63.

Sanders, J; Stolze, M; Padel, S (Eds.) (2011) Use and efficiency of public support measures addressing organic farming. Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (vTI) - Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, Institute of Farm Economics, Braunschweig.

Padel, S; Roecklinsberg, H and Schmid, O (2009) The implementation of organic principles and values in the European Regulation for organic food. Food policy, 34, pp. 245-251.

Padel, S. (2008) Values of organic producers converting at different times: Results of a focus group study in five European countries. Int. J. Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 7 (1), pp. 63-77.

Padel, S. & Foster, C. (2005) Exploring the gap between attitudes and behaviour: understanding why consumers buy or do not buy organic food. British Food Journal, 107(8) 606-625.

Padel, S. & Midmore, P. (2005) The development of the European market for organic products: insights from a Delphi study. British Food Journal, 107(8) 626-647.

Vaarst, M, S Padel, M Hovi, D Younie and A Sundrum (2005) Sustaining animal health and food safety in European organic livestock farming- presentation of a European Network Project. Livestock Production Science 94 (1-2 ), 61-69.

Nicholas, P.K, S. Padel, S. P. Cuttle, S. M. Fowler, M. Hovi, N. H. Lampkin and R. F. Weller (2004) Organic Dairy Production – A Review. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 22(3), 217-249.

Padel, S. (2001) Conversion to organic farming: a typical example of the diffusion of an innovation. Sociologia Ruralis 41 (1), 49-61.

Other publications

Sander, J, Stolze, M and Padel, S (2011) Use and efficiency of public support measures addressing organic farming – Final report - November 2011. Study conducted by the Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (DE) together with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL, CH) and the Organic Research Centre (UK) on behalf of the DG Agriculture of the European Commission.

Gerrard, C L; Smith, L; Padel, S; Pearce, B; Hitchings, R; Measures, M and Cooper, N (2011) OCIS Public Goods Tool Development. Organic Research Centre, Newbury.

Gerrard, Catherine L and Padel, Susanne (2011) Production costs across the EU in 2006. Organic Research Centre Bulletin, April 2011, 104, pp. 12-13.

Lampkin, N., Measures, M. and Padel, S. (Eds.) 2011. 2011/12 Organic Farm Management Handbook. Organic Research Centre Newbury.

Padel, S. & Lampkin, N (2011). Introduction to the concepts and principles of organic farming. In: KÖLLING, A. (ed.) Organic Food and Farming: A system approach to meet the sustainability challenge. Brussels: IFOAM EU Group. In www.ifoam-eu.org/workareas/policy/pdf/IFOAMEU_dossier_organic_farming_system_approach.pdf

Padel, S and Zander, K (2011) Communicating with customers. Organic Farming, 2011, Spring (106), pp. 29-31.

Padel, S., Schaack, D. & Willer, H. (2011) The Organic Market in Europe. IN WILLER, H. & KILCHER, L. (Eds.) The World of Organic Agriculture, Statistics and Emerging Trends 2011. Bonn and Frick, IFOAM and FiBL, pg 156-160.

Padel, Susanne (Ed.) (2010) The European Regulatory Framework and its Implementation in Influencing Organic Inspection and Certification Systems in The EU. Organic Research Centre - Elm Farm , Newbury.

Padel, S and Zander, K (2010) Regional production’ and ‘Fairness’ in organic farming: Evidence from a CORE Organic project. In: Darnhofer, Ika and Grötzer, Michaela (Eds.) WS4.3 – Fair and regional: New trends of organic and sustainable food systems, Universität für Bodenkultur , Vienna .

Padel, S., Niggli, U., Pearce, B., Schlüter, M., Schmid, O., Cuoco, E., Willer, H., Huber, M., Halberg, N. & Micheloni, C. (2010): Implementation Action Plan for organic food and farming research. TP Organics. IFOAM- EU Group, Brussels. Available at www.tporganics.eu.

Padel, S; Smith, L and Janssen, M (2010) Are shoppers aware of Organic Certification logos? Organic Research Centre Bulletin, August 2010, pp. 4-5.

Zander, K; Hamm, U; Freyer, B; Gössinger, K; Hametter, M; Naspetti, S; Padel, S; Stolz, H; Stolze, M and Zanoli, R (2010) Farmer Consumer Partnerships - How to successfully communicate the values of organic food. Self-published, Department of Agricultural and Food Marketing, University of Kassel, Witzenhausen.

Padel, S. & Gössinger, k. (Eds.) (2008) Farmer Consumer Partnerships Communicating Ethical Values: a conceptual framework, Aberystwyth and Vienna, Aberystwyth University and University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences.

Padel, S. and Lampkin, N. (2007) Chapter 8: The development of governmental support for organic farming in Europe. In: Lockeretz, W. (Ed). Organic Farming An International History. Wallingford: CABI, pp. 93-122.

Click here to see Susanne Padel's publications on Organic eprints.