Award winner: DI Dr. Matthias Kirchner
The submitted dissertation is entitled: „Integrated Impact Modelling of Climate Change and Policy Scenarios on Agriculture, Land Use Change, and Environment in Austria“
Reviewer’s Appreciation: Univ.Prof. Dr. Christoph Weiss (Institute of Economic Policy and Industrial Organization, Vienna University of Economics and Business)
The dissertation comprises extensive interdisciplinary analyses of climate change and agricultural policy scenarios and their impacts on agriculture, land use, and ecosystem services in Austria. Analyzing the effects of these key future influencing factors is of social relevance, as agriculture, despite its small contribution to Austria's economic performance, is closely linked to social, ecological, and spatial dimensions.
Reflecting this multifunctionality of agriculture, an interdisciplinary approach was chosen in the dissertation to demonstrate impacts on as many dimensions as possible. The methodological focus was the development of spatially explicit, bottom-up economic models for agriculture and forestry. These models were always created with consideration for their integration into interdisciplinary model networks, such as biophysical process, crop rotation, climate, energy sector, or macroeconomic input-output models, as well as spatial analyses related to landscapes or biodiversity, and were carried out in close collaboration with many other scientists from different disciplines in order to be able to analyze research questions more comprehensively.
The results of the climate change scenarios show that the economic impacts on Austrian agriculture will be positive on average by 2040, but will vary greatly across regions, particularly between the cooler and wetter west, dominated by grassland, and the warmer and drier east, characterized by arable land. Intensification often leads to a deterioration of environmental indicators (e.g., nitrogen emissions). The results of alternative policy scenarios illustrate that such trade-offs between economic indicators (e.g., GDP) and ecosystem service providers (e.g., biomass production) on the one hand, and regulating and supporting ecosystem services (e.g., climate regulation, vascular plant diversity) on the other, are often unavoidable. Participation in agri-environmental measures, in particular, significantly influences the provision of various ecosystem services. This willingness to participate could decrease due to positive climate change effects and lower agri-environmental payments. The results of the dissertation have been published in important (S)SCI journals, such as Ecological Economics and Land Use Policy, and were disseminated to relevant stakeholders in workshops.
Award winner: DIin Magdalena Arnreither
The submitted master’s thesis is titled: “Risks in the Value Chain and its Management in the Austrian Grain Industry.”
Reviewer’s Appreciation: O.Univ.Prof. i.R. Dr. Markus Hofreither (Institute for Sustainable Economic Development, BOKU University, Vienna)
This master’s thesis focuses on risk assessments and risk management measures in the Austrian grain industry. In addition to an in-depth analysis of the business and behavioral economic foundations of risk management, the empirical part of the thesis determined the individual perspectives of representatives of Austrian companies in the grain industry on risks and risk management measures. The results of this thesis are particularly suitable as a basis for comparing risk management within companies.
The thesis, reviewed by Prof. i.R. Dr. Markus Hofreither, demonstrates how practical topics can be addressed scientifically. The master's thesis is characterized by its clear structure and precise, methodical approach.
