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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.

Latest publications of the department


; ; (2025) How does regional economic integration impact trade in small economies? Evidence from Armenia and Kyrgyzstan’s EAEU accession. Eurasian Geography and Economics


; ; ; (2025) Cross-country synthesis: Role of women in the rural areas in the Western Balkans. In: Ilic, B., Tasev, I. (eds.): The role of women in the rural areas in the Western Balkans, 10-55: Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group in SEE (SWG RRD).


; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (2025) Current challenges in Central Asian water governance and their implications for research, higher education, and science-policy interaction. Central Asian Journal of Water Research 11 (1): 47–58.


; ; (2025) Mechanizing cotton harvesting in Uzbekistan. CPRO Policy Brief, Tashkent.


; ; ; (2025) Enhancing agricultural resilience in Uzbekistan through farmers' decisionmaking autonomy. CPRO Policy Brief, Tashkent.


; ; ; ; ; (2025) What determines small farms' succession patterns in Eastern European emerging markets? Exploring the role of embeddedness in social networks. International Journal of Emerging Markets


; ; ; (2025) Enhancing agricultural resilience in Uzbekistan through farmers' decisionmaking autonomy. 0


; ; (2025) Mechanizing cotton harvesting in Uzbekistan. 0


; ; (2025) Land property rights and investment incentives in movable farm assets: Evidence from post-Soviet Central Asia. Comparative Economic Studies


; (2025) Do bigger farms suffer less from corruption? Anti-corruption efforts and the recorvery of livestock production. Economics of Transition and Institutional Change


Contact


			Prof. Dr. Thomas Herzfeld

Prof. Dr. Thomas Herzfeld

Director of IAMO,
Head of Department Agricultural Policy
Room: 117

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			Dr. Judith Möllers

Dr. Judith Möllers

Deputy Head of Department Agricultural Policy
Room: 118

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			Dr. Nodir Djanibekov

Dr. Nodir Djanibekov

Deputy Head of Department Agricultural Policy
Room: 119

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Secretariat


			Mara Kyritz

Mara Kyritz

Secretariat
Room: 116

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