Department Agricultural Policy

External Environment for Agriculture and Policy Analysis

We research the political and institutional environment of agricultural and rural development in the formerly centrally planned economies of Europe and Asia from the actors’ perspective. In our studies, we analyse the effects of demographic and economic developments, institutional reforms and other driving forces on agricultural production, the socio-economic development of rural areas, and the use of natural resources like soil and water. We evaluate agricultural policy measures in terms of their sectoral impacts on producers, consumers and public budgets. Moreover, we examine factors that encourage or discourage migration, such as the quality of life in rural areas and the climate crisis. The theoretical underpinnings of the work form an integral to our applied research, encompassing migration theories as well as behavioural and institutional economics approaches. Methodologically, we employ quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches in our predominantly empirical research. The Agricultural Policy Department primarily focuses on the countries of the Western Balkans, Central Asia, China, and Ukraine. This focus enhances our understanding of the relationship between institutions, agricultural policies and transformation processes.