Socioeconomic research institute of the BMLUK for agricultural policy, the food industry, rural areas and mountain regions

Bundesanstalt für Agrarwirtschaft und Bergbauernfragen

Vienna (Dietrichgasse 27)New on Amplifa

2019Formation of the BAB through the merger of AWI, BABF and

1979Founding of the predecessor Mountain Farming Institute

1960Founding of the predecessor Institute of Agricultural

Thomas ReslDirector since 2019

About the BAB

The Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics and Mountain Farmer Issues (BAB) is a subordinate agency of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management (BMLUK), based in Vienna-Landstraße. It sees itself as a socioeconomic research institute and addresses current and forward-looking topics in agricultural policy, the food industry, agricultural holdings, rural areas and mountain regions. Its research priorities include agricultural economics and agricultural markets, mountain region research and regional development, rural social research as well as agricultural, environmental and food systems. The institute analyses the interactions between agriculture and society and develops foundations and approaches for solutions for the sustainable development of rural areas in a national and European context. An important area of work is the collection, structuring and evaluation of (geo)data on agriculture and rural areas as well as the development and implementation of IT systems as a basis for data science projects. In the institute's own specialist library, professional literature is also systematically documented as a scientific resource for internal and external users.

Site: Vienna
Processes: Socioeconomic research: agricultural policy, food industry, agricultural holdings,, Collection, structuring and evaluation of (geo)data as well as development and implementation of, Institute's own specialist library / systematic documentation of professional literature, Seminars and lecture events (e.g. BAB seminar, social research working group)
Materials: Socioeconomic Analysis, (Geo)Data and IT Systems, Mountain Region and Regional Development, Rural Social Research
Founded: 1979 (pred
Industries: Agricultural and agricultural policy research, Food industry, Regional development / mountain region research, Rural social research, Policy consulting (national and EU)

01
Contract-based research and analysis
02
Collection and processing of (geo)data
03
Evaluation and scientific studies
04
Consulting and publication
05
Events (seminars, social research working group)

Fields of Work and Methods

ANALYSE

Socioeconomic Analysis

Analysis of agricultural policy, agricultural markets and agricultural holding structures.

GEO

(Geo)Data and IT Systems

Collection, structuring and evaluation of geo and structural data as well as implementation of IT systems.

REGIO

Mountain Region and Regional Development

Spatially differentiated analysis of the development of mountain regions in a European context.

SOZ

Rural Social Research

Study of social change in rural areas and among the farming population.

Locations

Vienna

Head office, research, library and event venue

Materials: Socioeconomic data, geo data

Institute's own specialist library
Data pool and IT systems

Research Products

**Maps on the bandwidth availability of Austrian farmsteads**Geo data evaluation · Digitalisation of rural areas

**Map of the main alpine farming regions 2022**Geo analysis · Mountain region research

**Overview of the image matching processing steps**Data science · 3D mesh computation

Inside the production

Farm with barn buildings, meadow, field and trees

Industries

Agricultural and agricultural policy researchFood industryRegional development / mountain region researchRural social researchPolicy consulting (national and EU)

Additional services

Socioeconomic research: agricultural policy, food industry, agricultural holdings,Collection, structuring and evaluation of (geo)data as well as development and implementation ofInstitute's own specialist library / systematic documentation of professional literatureSeminars and lecture events (e.g. BAB seminar, social research working group)

Reference customers

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions andEuropean Commission (DG Regio, mountain region study, coordination by NORDREGIO)

History

1960
Founding of the Institute of Agricultural Economics as the predecessor of the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics; renamed Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics in 1983
1979
Founding of the Mountain Farming Institute as the predecessor of the Federal Institute of Mountain Farmer Issues
1982
Renaming of the Mountain Farming Institute to Federal Institute of Mountain Farmer Issues
2002
Participation in the EU study on the development of mountain regions in Europe (coordination by NORDREGIO), with responsibility for Austria and Germany
2018
Criticism from the staff council and the ÖBV against the planned integration of the BABF into the AWI
2019
Merger of the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics, the Federal Institute of Mountain Farmer Issues and BMNT agencies into the BAB; relocation to Dietrichgasse 27, Vienna; Thomas Resl becomes director