Dr. Tony Prato is professor of resource economics and management, and director of the Center for Agricultural, Resource and Environmental Systems at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has written extensively on the assessment and management of natural resources. Prato is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions and has taught and/or conducted research in the United States, the People's Republic of China, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. His experience in the field includes service with the US Department of Energy and the US Department of Agriculture.