Research of the Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group
The Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group performs research, and teaches across a wide range of aspects related to the contribution of the bio-economy and the agricultural sector in particular to sustainable development.
Objective & focus
The objective of AEP is to create impact in science and in society by disseminating research results to other researchers, policy makers, students and societal actors.
Our group is focusing on developed countries, and the EU more specifically. However, the transformation of agriculture from being mainly a food producer to a producer of both food and green services in the western world is increasingly observed as a worldwide phenomenon. For this reason, the research of the AEP group is also directed towards economies in transition (e.g. Eastern Europe and China) and developing countries.
For more details, please refer to the research profile of the AEP group on Research@wur.
Our research themes
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1. Markets and Policies
This theme focuses, e.g., on the impact of reforms of the EU Common Agricultural Policy; and the effects of increased price volatility on farmers' incomes. New opportunities arise in terms of the analysis of regulations in the Bioeconomy, including safety regulations for novel products; biofuel policies; and their market effects in both developed and developing countries.
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2. Spatial Structures
This theme includes research on the provision of green services, landscape valuation, rural policy modelling and land use analysis. Within this theme, new opportunities for Bioeconomy research relate to land use and multifunctionality of rural areas under conditions of increasing competition for land and natural resources.
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3. Institutional and Organisational Aspects
This theme includes organizational economic aspects of, for example, agri-food value chains, contract farming and agri-environmental schemes. The growing importance of vertical and horizontal coordination and the use of contracts in global agri-food value chains provide ample opportunities for extended research on the Bioeconomy within this theme.
