Modelling the Relationship Between Agriculture and the Environment Using Bio-Economic Models: Some Conceptual Issues

Abstract

This book has the purpose of providing the “state of the arts” concerning bio-economic modelling dealing with agricultural systems. In most cases, the contributions use a methodology combining the use of biophysical and economic models, in all cases, an engineering production function approach is totally or partially applied. This practice is being developed in the last years as a response to concrete policy matters: agricultural policies are increasingly combined with environmental and natural resources policies, and this reality involves the need of an integrated assessment, that current economic models are not able to provide. But at the same time this type of approach involves the use of a multidisciplinary approach, extremely difficult to develop taking into account on one side the difficulty of communication between different disciplines and on the other the fact that in terms of scientific evaluation, the existing system is an obstacle to the development of this research orientation, as long as researchers are evaluated on a strictly disciplinary criteria. Part I deals principally with theoretical and methodological issues, as well as a presentation of biophysical models, an important source that provides engineering production functions appropriate to be used by bioeconomic agricultural models. Chapter 1 discusses the relations between bioeconomic modelling and economic theory. It is clear that all bioeconomic modellers do not share the points of view that are presented in this chapter, the intention is to open discussions that can be fruitful for future research development as well as for reminding the young generations of economists about some old theoretical issues that can be extremely useful for very new practical matters.