Leinbiz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO)

IAMO is an internationally oriented research institute that is engaged in fundamental and application oriented research as well as knowledge transfer addressing the development of the agri-food system and rural areas in transition economies of Europe and Asia. Research at IAMO comprises the analyses of agricultural policy framework conditions and institutional arrangements, markets in the agricultural and food sector as well as the development of agricultural enterprises and structures in rural areas. As one of three scientific departments, the Department “Structural Change” (Structural Development of Farms and Rural Areas) will be responsible for the implementation of the MIND STEP project at IAMO. The department researches the complexities of agrarian structural change with a special focus on inherent dynamics, influencing factors and effects of structural changes. Besides investigating economic issues of structural changes in the agricultural sector, research in the department aims for a broader systems theoretical perspective as well as the consideration of interdependencies between the environment, resources, agricultural structures and economic growth. The department’s key methodical competencies are in the field of computational economics, particularly agent-based modelling and artificial intelligence. Key areas of expertise include structural development of agricultural regions in the EU, the analysis of agricultural policies (e.g., CAP first and second pillar) on farm structure, regional performance, incomes, land markets, and environmental indicators, organizational issues of corporate farms, investment decisions, farm productivity and efficiency, occupational choices, and labour mobility.

MIND STEP project information on the partner's website in English.