Jerker Nilsson’s research focuses on agricultural cooperatives and other market structures in the agro-food chains. The research concerns the various stages in the value chains from the field to the food, always with the market as a point of departure. The theoretical home of the projects is either institutional theories or social psychology.
Before Jerker Nilsson was employed at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in 1989 he worked as an associate professor of marketing at Copenhagen Business School (1982-1989) and Aarhus University (1977-1982). He earned an MBA (1967) and a PhD (Business Administration) (1980) at University of Lund.
Jerker Nilsson writes chronicles (in Swedish) for each issue of the monthly magazine Lantbrukets Affärer. During all his years at SLU he has been active in extension services, communicating scientific information to business and society.
Jerker Nilsson is a member of the Editorial Board of Agribusiness: An International Journal.
Nilsson, J. (2025). The cooperative principles in present-day Western agrifood industries International Journal of Food System Dynamics 16 (2025), l–9. https://brill.com/view/journals/fsd/aop/article-10.1163-18696945-bja00004/article-10.1163-18696945-bja00004.xml
Nilsson, J. (2025). Agricultural cooperatives and cooperative principles. In: Windsperger, J., Cliquet, G., Galak, O., Hendrikse, G.W.J. (eds) Managing Networks in the Digital Economy. Contributions to Management Science, pp. 101-114. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-81233-0_6. https://scholar.google.se/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Agricultural+cooperatives+and+cooperative+principles.&btnG=
Nilsson, J. (2024). Differentiated voting and membership composition – the case of a large Swedish dairy cooperative. International Journal of Food System Dynamics, 15 (2), 114-129. http://centmapress.ilb.uni-bonn.de/ojs/index.php/fsd/article/view/J1/1249
Hansen, R., Hess, S., Nilsson, J., & Ollila, P. (2024), The commitment of farmers to traditional and hybrid cooperatives: Empirical evidence over a six‐year period. Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics. 95 (4), 949–970 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/apce.12469
Yu, L., Nilsson, J., Li, Y., & Guo, M. (2023) Cooperative membership and farmers’ environment-friendly practices: Evidence from Fujian, China. Heliyon. https://www.cell.com/heliyon/pdf/S2405-8440(23)08027-1.pdf
Yu, L.; Nilsson, J.; Zhan, F.; Cheng, S. (2023). Social Capital in Cooperative Memberships and Farmers’ Access to Bank Credit – Evidence from Fujian, China. Agriculture 13, 418. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020418 .
Nilsson, J. (2023), Social capital and governance of agricultural cooperatives. Handbook of Research on Cooperatives and Mutuals, ed.: M. Elliott, and M. Boland. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK & Northhampton, MI, USA. ISBN: 978 1 80220 260 1, pp 116–134. https://publications.slu.se/?file=publ/show&id=121136&lang=en
Hendrikse, G. & J. Nilsson (2022). Board structure variety in cooperatives. In. Networks in International Business: Managing Cooperatives, Franchises and Alliances. Edited by George W.J. Hendrikse, Gérard Cliquet, Ilir Hajdini, Aveed Raha, and Josef Windsperger. Springer. https://publications.slu.se/?file=publ/show&id=121135&lang=en
Antonova, M., J. Nilsson & A. Potopova (2022). Obstacles for agricultural cooperatives in Russia: The competencies of experts. International Journal of Food System Dynamics, 13 (3), 247–261. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18461/ijfsd.v13i3.C1
Nilsson, J. (2022). Agricultural cooperative development and institutional change. Swedish examples from 1990 to 2020. International Journal of Food System Dynamics, 13 (2), 115–127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18461/ijfsd.v13i2.B1 http://centmapress.ilb.uni-bonn.de/ojs/index.php/fsd/article/view/B1
Yu, L and Nilsson, J (2021). Farmers’assessments of their cooperatives in economic, social, and environmental terms: An investigation in Fujian, China. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 9:668361. DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2021.668361
Morfi, C. Nilsson, J., Hakelius, K., Karantininis, K. (2021). Social networks and member participation in cooperative governance. Agribusiness. An International Journal, 37 (2), 264-285
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agr.21660
Hakelius, K. & Nilsson, J. (2020). The logic behind the internal governance of Sweden’s largest agricultural cooperatives. Sustainability. 12, 9073. doi:10.3390/su1221907
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/Rural_Civil_Society
Nilsson, J., Helgesson, M., Rommel, J., Svensson, E. (2020). Forest-owner support for their cooperative's provision of public goods. Forest Policy and Economics, 115, 102156.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389934119304642
Golovina, S., S. Hess, J. Nilsson & A. Wolz (2019). Networking among Russian Farmers and their Prospects for Success. Post-Communist Economics, 31:4, 484-499, DOI: 10.1080/14631377.2018.1537737 https://doi.org/10.1080/14631377.2018.1537737
Yu, L. and J. Nilsson (2019), Social capital and Financial Capital in Chinese Cooperatives. Sustainability. 11. 2415; doi:10.3390/su11082415
Nilsson, J. (2018). Governance costs and the problems of large traditional co-operatives. Outlook on Agriculture¸ 47(2), 87-92, http://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/E9GWcPXZMf8HiZaXxQKq/full
Morfi, C., J. Nilsson & H. Österberg (2018). Why farmers involve themselves in cooperative district councils. Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 89,4, 581-598 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/apce.12206
Yu, L. & J. Nilsson (2018). Social capital and the financing performance of farmer cooperatives in Fujian Province, China. Agribusiness. An International Journal, 34 (4), 847-864.
Feng, L., Friis, A. & Nilsson, J. (2016). Social Capital among Members in Grain Marketing Cooperatives of Different Sizes. Agribusiness. An International Journal, 32 (1), 113-126.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/agr.21427/epdf
Nilsson, J., S. Golovina, S. Hess and A. Wolz. (2016) Governance of production co-operatives in Russian agriculture. Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 87 (4), 541-562 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apce.12123/epdf
Wolz, A., Golovina, S., Nilsson, J., Hess, S., (2016). Reviewing changing institutional conditions for private farming in Russia. Outlook on Agriculture 45(2): 111-116.
http://oag.sagepub.com/content/45/2/111.abstract
Golovina, S., J. Nilsson and A. Wolz (2015).The role of production cooperatives in Russian agriculture. In: Transition to Agricultural Market Economies. The Future of Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine, edited by A. Schmitz, and W. H. Meyers, Wallingford, U.K.: CABI, pp. 72-80. http://www.cabi.org/bookshop/book/9781780645353
Morfi, C., P. Ollila, J. Nilsson, L. Feng, and K. Karantininis (2015). Motivation behind members’ loyalty to agricultural cooperatives. In: Interfirm Networks - Franchising, Cooperatives and Strategic Alliances. Eds. J. Windsperger, G. Cliquet, Th. Ehrmann, G. Hendrikse. Heidelberg: Springer International Publishing AG, pp. 173-190.
Nilsson, J. and C. Rydberg (2015)- Factors behind the Fonterra Shareholders’ Rejection of the Board’s Capital Restructuring Plan of 2007. Journal of Cooperatives 30; 1-27.
http://accc.k-state.edu/ncera210/jocarticles.html
Nilsson, J. and L.W. Lind (2015). Institutional changes in the Swedish meat industry. British Food Journal, 117 (10), pp. 2501 – 2514. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/BFJ-11-2014-0378
Golovina S., Hess S., Nilsson J., Wolz A. (2014). Social capital in Russian agricultural production co-operatives. Post-Communist Economies 26, 522-536.
http://pub.epsilon.slu.se/id/eprint/11868
Nilsson J, (2014). Assessment of cooperatives’ performance. In Laurinkari Juhani, Schediwy Robert, Todev Tode (eds.), Genossenschaftswissenschaft zwischen Theorie und Geschichte. Bremen: EHV Academicpress. 449-464.
Nilsson J,, Liljenstolpe C,, Lind L, W., Liang, S, (2014). A farmer-controlled business from a farmer perspective. Journal of Chain and Network Science 14: 201-211.
http://pub.epsilon.slu.se/11856/
Ollila P,, Nilsson J., Hess S,. (2014). Farmers’ reactions to the internationalisation of cooperatives. Agricultural and Food Science 23: 291-306. http://pub.epsilon.slu.se/11864/
Tuna E,j, Nilsson J., (2013). Institutional mismatch in a transition economy. The collapse of Swedmilk. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, 3: 84-100. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/JADEE-05-2012-0013
Golovina S,, Nilsson J,, Wolz A. (2013). Members’ choice of production cooperatives in the Russian agriculture. Post-Communist Economies 25 (4), 465-491. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14631377.2013.844929
Nilsson J., Pyykkönen P., Ollila P., Bäckman S., Kauriinoja H. (2012). Support for Farmers’ Cooperatives; Country Report Sweden. Wageningen: Wageningen UR.
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/external-studies/support-farmers-coop_en.htm
Nilsson J., Svendsen G. L.H., Svendsen G.T. (2012). Are large and complex agricultural cooperatives losing their social capital? Agribusiness. An International Journal, 28 (2), 187-204. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/agr.21285/full
Golovina S., Nilsson J., Wolz A. (2012). The development of agricultural production cooperatives in the Russian Federation. Journal of Rural Cooperation 40 (1), 43-58. http://pub.epsilon.slu.se/11902/
Nilsson J., Hendrikse G. (2011) Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft in cooperatives, in New Institutional Developments in the Theory of Networks, Franchising, Alliances and Cooperatives (ed. by Tuunanen M., Windsperger J., Cliquet G., Hendrikse G.). Physica-Verlag, Heidelberg.
Nilsson J., Svendsen G.T. (2011). Free riding or trust? Why members (do not) monitor their co-operatives. Journal of Rural Cooperation 39 (2), 131-150.
Simonovska A. Nilsson J. (2011). Conditions for structural change in the Macedonian dairy industry. The dairy farmers’ choice of processors. Post-Communist Economies 23 (4). http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14631377.2011.622577?scroll=top&needAccess=true
Andersson M., Nilsson J. (2009). Partnerships in the Irish beef industry. Contract theoretical analyses, Journal of International Food and Agribusiness Marketing, 21, 4, 312-338.
Golovina S., Nilsson J. (2009). Difficulties for the development of agricultural cooperatives in Russia: The case of the Kurgan Region, Journal of Rural Cooperation, 37 (1), 52-70.
Golovina S., Nilsson J. (2009). Russian agricultural producers’ views of top-down organized cooperatives. Journal of Rural Cooperation, 37 (2): 225-241.
Nilsson J., Ollila P. (2009). Strategies and structures in the European dairy co-operative industry. Journal of Co-operative Studies, 42 (2), 14-23.
Nilsson J., Kihlén A., Norell L. (2009). Are traditional cooperatives an endangered species? About shrinking satisfaction, involvement and trust”, International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 12 (4), 103-123.
Österberg P., Nilsson, J. (2009). Members' perception of their participation in the governance of cooperatives: The key to trust and commitment in agricultural cooperatives. Agribusiness. An International Journal, 25 (2), 181-197.
Nilsson J., Madsen O. Ø. (2007). Issues in cross-border mergers between agricultural co-operatives, Journal of Co-operative Studies, 27-38. http://www.co-opstudies.org/nilsson.htm
Nilsson J., Ruffio P., Gouin S. (2007). Do consumers care about co-operatives? A Franco-Swedish comparative study of consumer perceptions. In: Vertical Markets and Cooperative Hierarchies. The Role of Cooperatives in the Agri-Food Industry. Karantininis, K,, Nilsson J, (eds.), Springer, Dordrecht, 2007, 225–244.
Nilsson J., Ohlsson C. (2007). The New Zealand dairy cooperatives’ adaptation to changing market conditions. Journal of Rural Cooperation, 35 (1): 43-70. https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/jlorco/59553.html
van der Krogt D., Nilsson J. , Høst V. (2007). The impact of cooperatives’ risk aversion and equity capital constraints on their inter-firm consolidation and collaboration strategies – with an empirical study of the European dairy industry. Agribusiness – An International Journal, 23 (4), 452-472. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/agr.20140/full
Nilsson J., Ollila P. (2007). The dairy co-operatives in the Nordic countries. The National Dairy Development Board of India, Anund. (161 pp.)
Nilsson J., Ollila P. (2007). Trends in the European dairy processing industry, With special reference to the co-operative sector. The National Dairy Development Board of India, Anund. (21 pp.)