Open AccessThe contribution of research to agricultural policy in Europe
Author(s) -
Alan Matthews
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
bio-based and applied economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.352
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2280-6180
pISSN - 2280-6172
DOI - 10.36253/bae-12322
Subject(s) - toolbox , scope (computer science) , agriculture , regional science , direct payments , political science , research policy , politics , public economics , agricultural policy , management science , payment , economics , sociology , public administration , computer science , geography , archaeology , finance , law , programming language
This paper surveys some of the key themes in European agricultural policy research in recent decades. It identifies three main drivers of this research: a gradual broadening of the scope of the discipline in response to changing political priorities and values; an enlarged toolbox of policy instruments that has raised new questions and required the development of new modes of analysis; and the availability of new data sources, increased computing power, as well as the introduction of new methodological advances from economics, statistics and psychology that have opened the way to new and more powerful analytical tools. Particular attention is paid to direct payments and agri-environment-climate measures as examples of new policy instruments that have driven the research agenda. The paper concludes by identifying requirements to ensure that agricultural policy research remains vibrant and relevant in the future.