Various measures within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and beyond pursue objectives such as increasing the competitiveness of agricultural holdings or promoting sustainable development and the efficient management of natural resources. The objectives and associated measures address and influence many different components and actors throughout the agricultural, environmental and food system, such as farmers or natural resources such as water, soil or air. The European Green Deal with its Farm to Fork Strategy and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 also highlight the growing relevance of research topics at the interface between agriculture and the environment, as well as systemic perspectives in the analysis of complex interrelationships. In addition to agricultural policy measures, there are a number of other factors that influence agricultural businesses and agricultural, environmental and food systems, such as climate change and price volatility.
In order to further develop agricultural policy measures or to better understand the effects of changing influencing factors, it is useful to assess the effects of the measures (economic effects, derivable environmental effects, etc.) and the reactions of the actors involved to these measures, to changes in agricultural policy measures or to other framework conditions (markets, climate change, etc.) using model-based analyses. Examples of this include analysing the possible effects of certain agricultural policy changes on the income of agricultural holdings as part of a policy impact assessment (ex ante) or analysing the impact of agri-environmental programmes on the management practices of agricultural holdings (ex post). Since models are applied at different decision-making levels, such as sector, region or farm, depending on the research question, a database that is as disaggregated, detailed and well-prepared as possible and sound methodological skills are required.
For analyses of the effects of agricultural policy measures or other influencing factors, work began on setting up a model-independent database as part of the completed project BAB 009/04 – ‘Development of a model system’. These activities are to be continued here as part of the present project. In this context, completed projects such as BAB 045/20 ‘COVID-19 Lessons learnt’ – Work Package 4 ‘Regional demand for intermediate inputs in Austrian agriculture’ should also be mentioned, the results and activities of which are partly taken up and continuously followed up in this project.
Objective
The aim of this project is to provide the basis and infrastructure for model-based analyses (e.g. database and consolidation of information for analyses in the fields of applied econometrics, mathematical programming, machine learning, mathematical simulations, etc.). The focus is on fundamentals and infrastructure for analysing economic issues, issues related to the CAP and other agricultural policy measures, and issues at the interface between agriculture and the environment. In addition, the results should not only support model-based analyses, but also contribute to the presentation of, for example, agricultural economic indicators based on evaluations, even without such applications.
Work packages
The project is divided into several work packages (WP) that can be worked on largely independently of one another. Links between the work packages are established in particular through the ‘Project Management’ work package.
AP ‘Project Management’
(AP Manager: Christoph Tribl)
The project will run for two years (01/2026 – 12/2027). Project meetings covering all work packages will be held twice a year to discuss the status of the project, make any necessary adjustments during the course of the project, coordinate the activities carried out within the work packages, and discuss interim results. If necessary, additional project meetings may be held in addition to bilateral communication. In the first year, the project meetings will focus on the content and the necessary course-setting; in the second year, the focus will be on discussing the interim results and preparing for the implementation of the desired goals.
In December 2027, a final report will summarise important results from all work packages. Deliverables are defined for each work package to document the progress of the project specific to that work package.
AP ‘Database’
(AP management: Karin Heinschink; collaboration: Gerhard Gahleitner, Christoph Tribl, Julian Zeilinger)
This work package aims to establish a database on agricultural activities that is necessary for model-based analyses, but is nevertheless largely model-independent and can be adapted and used relatively quickly for specific applications. This requires a goal-oriented definition and standardisation of agricultural activities to ensure their use in different methods. The starting point for these considerations are the activities of the BAB application ‘Interactive Contribution Margins’ (IDB).
The database will bring together and harmonise data on agricultural activities from various sources (INVEKOS data, data from accounting firms, data from contribution margin calculations (see project BAB 015/10), data from Statistics Austria, etc.) using mapping. The activities of this work package are based on the results of project BAB 045/20 ‘COVID-19 Lessons learnt’ – Work package 4 ‘Regional demand for intermediate inputs in Austrian agriculture’ (Heinschink et al., 2021).
Where possible and necessary, relevant results from specific applications of model-based analyses carried out at BAB as part of other projects should also be integrated into the database. The database will be set up in coordination with the ‘ICT Interface’ work package to ensure that the database is user-oriented. In one application, the results of the database are to be presented with the help of evaluations of suitable (e.g. agro-economic) key figures. The work package also aims to exploit synergies with other BAB projects, in particular the AREPSA project (BAB 089/26).
The activities in this work package will be carried out in the period 01/2026 – 12/2027.
Deliverables:
- 12/2026: Database and interim report on the status of the database on crop production activities
- 12/2027: Database and interim report on the status of the database on animal husbandry activities
AP ‘ICT Interface’
(AP management: Richard Maria; collaboration: Thomas Skidmore)
In connection with the AP ‘Database’, technical solutions are to be developed to integrate the database into the BAB data pool, maintain and adapt it regularly, and make it available as efficiently as possible for model-based analyses. Furthermore, sufficient documentation of the database is to be created to enable problem-free maintenance and use.
The activities in this work package will be carried out in the period 07/2026 – 12/2027.
Deliverables:
- 12/2027: Conceptual design of the database and research into suitable technologies
AP ‘Agri-environmental indicators’
(AP management: Christoph Tribl; collaboration: Julia Niedermayr)
In addition to predominantly economic issues, which can be addressed with the help of the work carried out by the AP ‘Database’, issues at the interface between agriculture and the environment are also of great importance for model-based analyses of agricultural, environmental and food systems. Examples include the analysis of environmental effects associated with certain management practices and agricultural activities or those to be achieved with the help of agricultural policy measures. While important data bases for economic analyses, e.g. in the form of data bases for contribution margin calculations, are available systematically to a certain extent, this is hardly the case with regard to data bases that can be used to make relatively quick statements about the environmental impacts of certain management measures or agricultural activities. In addition, evaluations of the CAP, for example, produce results on the environmental impacts of measures that have great potential to enrich the data available on agri-environmental indicators.
The aim of this work package is to research existing data and information on agri-environmental indicators for Austria (e.g. BAB data pool, administrative data, Statistics Austria, Eurostat, OECD, published results of various projects) and to identify opportunities for creating a systematic data catalogue on agri-environmental indicators at the BAB (e.g. data or coefficients on greenhouse gas emissions, nutrients, soil erosion or carbon sequestration, but also information related to agri-environmental measures such as management practices or specific commitment regulations in ÖPUL). The focus here is particularly on indicators that are related to specific agricultural activities (e.g. a particular arable crop or grassland activity) and/or associated with specific management practices in order to establish a link to the activities in the AP ‘Database’. In addition to different aggregation levels, other criteria such as different time levels must also be taken into account for the available indicators. In the course of the activities in this work package, a thematic focus (e.g. with regard to indicators or management measures) is to be selected for further research.
This work package will also exploit synergies with other BAB projects, e.g. activities related to the OECD Joint Working Party on Agriculture and the Environment (JWPAE; project BAB 003/86), the information network on agricultural sustainability (FSDN; project BAB 060/22), the evaluation of the Austrian Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (LE 14-20) and the Austrian CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 (GSP 23-27) (project BAB 072/24), activities within the framework of the project ‘Biophysical processes of agricultural land use in Austria – modelling and analysis’ (BAB 040/20) or the AREPSA project (BAB 089/26).
The activities in this work package will be carried out in the period 04/2026 – 12/2027.
Deliverables:
- 12/2027: Report with research results and conclusions on the possible design of a data catalogue on agri-environmental indicators
AP ‘Model Applications’
(AP Director: Martin Schönhart)
In order to make informed decisions, policymakers have a fundamental need for recommendations and policy impact assessments based on scientific methods and findings. Assessing the consequences of policy changes or other factors challenging agriculture, such as climate change or increasing price volatility, requires not only sufficient data, but also models and methodological developments that can be used to quantify the effects or map correlations.
This work package aims to assess the political demand for model-based analyses, research current national and international model applications, and identify opportunities for national and international cooperation as well as independent developments at BAB. The focus is on models that represent national and international agricultural markets (CGEs, partial equilibrium models, national sector models), agricultural economic models at regional and landscape level, and at farm level. This work package exploits synergies with BAB activities in other research projects (e.g. BAB 075/24) and network activities (e.g. participation in the FACCE JPI MACSUR SciPol project) as well as bilateral contacts with research institutions in Austria (e.g. BOKU, WIFO, IIASA) and abroad (e.g. Thünen Institute).
The activities in this work package will be carried out in the period 01/2026 – 12/2027.
Deliverables:
-12/2027: Report with research results and conclusions on model applications.
Geplante Arbeiten 2026
Das Projekt wird im 1. Quartal 2026 im Rahmen eines arbeitspaketübergreifenden Projekttreffens initiiert. Danach starten die unterschiedlichen Tätigkeiten in den Arbeitspaketen. Ein weiteres Projekttreffen soll im Sommer/Herbst 2026 stattfinden.
Nach Möglichkeit sollen Synergien zu Arbeiten im Rahmen anderer Projekte der BAB geschaffen werden, indem Ergebnisse wechselseitig ausgetauscht bzw. genutzt werden. Im Rahmen der abteilungsübergreifenden Arbeitsgruppe „Methoden und Modellierung“ sollen im Jahr 2026 u.a. methodische Fragen diskutiert und Tätigkeiten in verschiedenen Projekten mit einem stärkeren methodischen Fokus koordiniert werden.
Schedule
Project start: 01/2026
Project end: 12/2027
Literature
Heinschink K., Tribl C., Gahleitner G., Resl T., Stelzer C., Mayer C., Sinabell F. (2021). Regional demand for intermediate inputs in Austrian agriculture. Final report. RESILIENCE Corona crisis and agricultural and forestry value chains Lessons learnt, DaFNE project 101598. Federal Agency for Agricultural Economics and Mountain Farming. Vienna, October 2021. Retrieved on 25 November 2025, from https://dafne.at/content/report_release/679d9649-a624-46c5-9080-d1b77f3ade55_3.pdf .
