The project first established a robust analytical and data foundation. This delivered key inputs including a mapping of relevant EU and national policies, a categorisation of promising energy-saving technologies, and a set of indicators and modelling requirements. To achieve the analytical foundation, three workshops with stakeholders were organised in 2024.
The EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) is considered as the basic database. Starting from FADN AgEnRes progressed with the development of three EU-wide databases: one on energy use per farm activity, one on farmers’ risk preferences, and one on technologies to reduce energy use and emissions. These databases underpin the modelling and assessment work in AgEnRes.
Ex-post analysis of fossil energy dependence and price volatility impacts have been initiated, with preliminary work on energy efficiency metrics and shadow pricing. Surveys have been launched into farmer behaviour, preferences, and risk management strategies. The surveys are based on Best Practices and State-of-the art in the relevant research areas. This is achieved via extensive literature reviews and applying referenced and most recent and successful methodologies. So far AgEnRes produced two systematic literature reviews on risk behaviour and farmers’ preferences. Early-stage work on a decision support system (DSS) was also undertaken.
The development of the AgEnRes model toolbox is underway, focusing on expanding farm models and Agent Based Models (ABMs) to other countries and regions and full integration of the agricultural sector in the Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) applied by AgEnRes. Fossil fuel and energy saving potentials, costing data and structural change impacts of existing and new technologies in aggregated EU and world- wide models will be updated from the ABMs and farm level model applications. Storylines are under development to explain how policies or events affect prices of fossil fuels and how this will affect key output indicators as adoption and investments in fossil fuel and energy saving technologies, energy use, farm income, number of farms, production and consumption of agricultural inputs and outputs, LULUC, emissions, agricultural trade and employment.AgEnRes is actively collaborating with sister projects as BEATLES, ENFASYS, Prudent and HarvRESt. As a specific example a follow up meeting is planned with the HarvRESt team to discuss Best Practices to model biogas production on the farm. AgEnRes also participates in the Area Zero cluster (
https://areazerocluster.eu/(opens in new window)). Projects within the Area Zero cluster support each other with the exchange of good data and model practices and knowledge exchange of public insights.
