INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS

Their core work

The Institute of Agricultural Economics (IAE) in Sofia is a Bulgarian research institution focused on agricultural policy analysis, rural development economics, and the design of payment mechanisms for environmental public goods delivered by farming. Their core work involves evaluating how agricultural policies can be made more effective through participatory methods, evidence-based design, and contract-based solutions that reward farmers for environmental outcomes. They bring an Eastern European perspective to EU-wide debates on agri-environmental policy, contributing expertise on land tenure issues and collective action models relevant to post-socialist agricultural landscapes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

IAE's early H2020 involvement (2015–2018, PROVIDE) focused broadly on how EU agriculture and forestry deliver public goods — a mapping and assessment exercise. By 2019–2023, their work sharpened significantly toward concrete policy instruments: agri-environmental contracts, result-based payment schemes, and participatory policy co-construction (CONSOLE, SHERPA). The shift shows a move from describing the problem to designing the solutions, with growing emphasis on farmer and citizen engagement in policy design.

IAE is moving toward practical, contract-based instruments for rewarding farmers who deliver environmental outcomes — positioning them well for CAP implementation research and green transition policy work.

How they like to work

IAE operates exclusively as a participant or third party — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. With 46 unique partners across 22 countries from just 3 projects, they join large, pan-European consortia rather than leading small focused teams. This suggests they are valued as a regional expert contributing Bulgarian and Eastern European agricultural context to broad EU policy research networks.

Despite only 3 projects, IAE has built a surprisingly wide network of 46 partners across 22 countries, reflecting the large consortium sizes typical of EU agricultural policy research. Their reach spans most of the EU, giving them connections across diverse agricultural systems.

What sets them apart

IAE offers a Bulgarian and Eastern European lens on agricultural economics — a perspective that is essential for EU-wide policy projects but underrepresented in Western-dominated consortia. Their combination of land tenure expertise (critical in post-socialist countries where land ownership structures differ fundamentally) with agri-environmental contract design makes them a natural partner for any project needing coverage of Central and Eastern European agricultural realities. For consortium builders, they fill the CEE agricultural policy slot with genuine domain expertise rather than token geographic coverage.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CONSOLE
  Their largest funded project (EUR 94,188), focused on designing contract solutions for agri-environmental public goods — directly applicable to CAP implementation across member states
• SHERPA
  Multi-actor platform project engaging rural communities in policy co-design, demonstrating IAE's capacity for participatory research beyond pure economics