The population has various concerns with regard to the agriculture and food sector in Switzerland, which are enshrined in the Federal Law on Agriculture (LwG). It desires a reliable provision of the population with food, the preservation of natural resources, the maintenance of the cultural landscape, decentralised settlement of the country, and the guarantee of animal welfare. The Swiss agricultural sector is subject to the constraints of these societal expectations. Using economic models, our researchers evaluate the impacts of agricultural-policy instruments on social objectives and highlight trade-offs.
The following agro-economic models are used to this end:
- The agent-based agricultural sector model SWISSland models the impacts of policy measures on food production, income and agricultural structures.
- The DSS-ESSA (in german) model system simulates how security of supply can be maintained in situations of severe shortages. The model extension green DSS-ESSA analyses the domestic and import-linked environmental impacts of the agriculture and food sector.
- Econometric models are used to investigate the effects of trade restrictions on food markets in Switzerland.
- Various combinations of empirical social research models and methods are used in agricultural and food policy evaluations and analyses.
