AgChange: Conflicts of the new agricultural policy
AgChange: Conflicts of the new agricultural policy
A Research Group at the Research Centre on Biotechnology, Society and the Environment
University of Hamburg
July 2002 - June 2007
Research problem
Reacting to the BSE crisis, in 2001 the German government proclaimed a "turnaround in agriculture." Irrespective of the policy concept of the governing parties, this expession can be taken as a metaphor for the search for new options for environmentall sound and quality-oriented, 'multifunctional' forms of agriculture, in (post-)industrial societies with high costs of labour, a high capital ratio, high population density and a high rate of urbanisation. Against this background, and taking Germany as an example, the interdisciplinary research project AgChange was formed. Conflicts of the new agricultural policy investigates the social and political opportunity structures for different actor groups to shape and reshape the agricultural modernisation process. In a pragmatic mode, the project contributes to the development of advanced methods of evaluation and participatory modelling in the field of sustainable agriculture.
Project design
AgChange consists of five disciplinary subprojects (SPs) and three inter- and transdisciplinary cross-section projects (CP). Each subproject is carried out by one scientist and is conceptualised as a PhD of habilation thesis. The three cross-section projects form an organizational and conceptual framework for inter- and transdisciplinar co-operation which is supported by an external advisory group.
External Advisory Group
Prof. Volker Beusmann, Prof. Adelheid Biesecker, Prof. Karl-Werner Brand, Prof. Armin von Geich, Prof. Michael Jischa, Dr. Gesine Schutte, Prof. Alf Trojan, Dr. Armin Werner
Team
Dr. Peter H. Feindt (head), political scientist and economist
Tel. 040/42816-613; feindt@agchange.de
Christiane Canenbley, agricultural economist and political scientist
Tel. 040/42816-612; canenbley@agchange.de
Dr des. Manuel Gottschick, environmental engineer
Tel. 040/42816-615; gottschick@agchange.de
Christina Muller; sociologist
Tel. 040/42816-612; mueller@agchange.de
Dr. Rainer Sodtke, geo-ecologist
Tel. 040/42816-616; sodtke@agchange.de
Birgit Sonntag, office
Tel. 040/42816-505; sonntag@agchange.de
Project partners
SUmBi - Engineering contour for Social and Environmental accounting
www.sumbi.de
Oekopol - Institute for Ecology and Policy ltd
www.oekopol.de
Contact
AgChange. Conflicts of the new agricultural policy Research Centre on Biotechnology, Society and the Environment
University of Hamburg
Ohnhorststr. 18; D-22609 Hamburg
Phone: +49-40-42816-505; Fax: -527
[Name]@agchange.de;
www.agchange.de
Posted on June 22, 2005