About the seminar

THEME AND BACKGROUND:

A vast number of studies have analysed decision making behaviour under conditions where the researcher exercises complete control over the decision environment. Often, the results of such studies have challenged mainstream views held in neoclassical economics and have paved the way for behavioural economics research that challenges the bounds of rationality of economic agents.

Both experimental and behavioural economics (EBE) have found their way into agri-food and environmental economics research, extending our understanding of how the effects of psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural and social factors may shape the decisions of individuals and institutions and how these decisions differ from those implied by neoclassical economic theory. With the increasing number of studies and applications coming from agri-food and environmental economics, new methodological challenges and modelling approaches have arisen. As a result, there is an increasing interest among researchers to engage in an academic dialogue that facilitates the exchange of information and viewpoints on the latest developments and state-of-the-art methods and practices.

The continuous progress of research methodology in experimental and behavioural economics offers useful insights to support decision making in business, government and the public sector. This is particularly important for the agri-food and environmental sectors, where the transfer of research and innovation results is challenged by the specificities of the sector, such as the high number of enterprises without research and innovation capacity, the low uptake of innovations, as well as the weak links between academia and agribusiness.

OBJECTIVES AND TOPICS

The seminar will offer a space for debate, discussion and knowledge exchange among young and senior researchers from different sub-fields interested in experimental and behavioural economic methods both from a methodological or empirical perspective.

Topics:

• Experimental studies on food consumer behaviour, preferences, value perception 
• Farmers’ behaviour towards economic incentives and sanctions
• Farmers’ behaviour under different policy scenarios
• Lab experiments, lab-in-the-field experimental studies, field experiments: design, evaluation, effects on the results
• Replications of registered/published experiments in agri-food and environmental economics and marketing
• Discussions of behavioural public policy/nudging related to decision-making in food system
• Theoretical and empirical advancements in behavioural economics with a special emphasis on the food system and its actors

In addition, the conference will include a 3-hour training session on power analysis led by Jens Rommel (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences). Participants will also have the opportunity to actively interact and communicate with other experienced researchers in the field (Maurizio Canavari, University of Bologna, Andreas Drichoutis, Agricultural University of Athens, Carl-Johan Lagerkvist, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) during the two-day seminar.