Research / Forschung
Research at the Chair for International Agricultural Trade and Development focuses on questions of sociopolitical relevance, e. g. the distributive effects of trade integration, the future design of the multilateral trade framework of the World Trade Organization, as well as the increasing rivalry between the production of foods and the energetic and industrial use of biomass.
Specifically, three closely related research fields can be distinguished:
- The development of quantitative simulation models to analyze questions of economic and agricultural development, trade, poverty and income distribution and the interaction between water, energy and agriculture. The main regional focus of this work is on Near East and East-African countries.
- The governance as well as the quantitative analysis of sustainable global biomass systems, i.e. the efficient production and use of the scarce resource biomass. This involves the analysis of new biomass production systems such as lignocellulosic crops or microalgae, as well as a more sustainable use of biomass for example through more sustainable diets or the reduction of biomass waste.
- The role of the agricultural sector within society at large, the communication between the agricultural sector and various societal groups, concepts to reconcile domestic demands for non-market goods (environmental externalities, animal welfare) with the reality of internationally integrated agricultural sectors.
Prof. Dr. Hermann Lotze-Campen (S-Professorship on Sustainable Land Use and Climate Change, in cooperation with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research) focusses on interactions between climate, agriculture, and land use change, including technological and institutional solutions.
Prof. Dr. Matthias Weiter (honorary Professor) works on institutions and instruments of development cooperation. Research topics include SDG-related aspects, migration and development, and higher education. Furthermore, students can expect counselling and mentoring to prepare for careers in the field of international cooperation.
