Swiss agriculture is a good example of an agrosystem that produces a range of non-market goods in addition to foodstuffs. This starts with the promotion of landscape diversity and biodiversity, but also extends to a multitude of cultural and social factors.
Socioeconomic research at ART begins with numerous problem areas: it assesses the consequences of different framework policy conditions on the production of milk, meat and plants, as well as identifying social problem situations and defining effective instruments for eliminating them. Another important focus is the interface between the economic and ecological development of the Swiss agrosector.
Socioeconomics at ART
Model-Supported Policy Evaluation
Policies do not always make efficient use of public funds, but ART’s mathematical models can help decisionmakers reach better decisions.
Agrosociology
The regional development of rural areas in Switzerland is not uniform, depending as it does on a great many factors. ART is investigating which of these could lead to land-use conflicts.