Innovations offer opportunities to strengthen rural regions economically and ecologically and to improve the well-being of local residents. The 36th conference of the Austrian Society for Agricultural Economics (ÖGA) focused on the potential and risks of innovations in the agricultural sector.
The thematic introduction consisted of three plenary presentations. Inge van Oost (Active Senior Expert, AKIS Coordination, Belgium) outlined the legacy of EIP-AGRI (European Innovation Partnerships in the agricultural sector) and addressed fundamental questions regarding the future of European agricultural policy. Robert Finger (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) highlighted the potential and prospects of digital innovation in agriculture. Finally, Theresia Oedl-Wieser (Federal Institute for Agricultural Economics and Mountain Farming Issues, Austria) discussed women as innovators and the framework conditions required to support them.
The conference concluded with a joint excursion to the Raiffeisen Warenverbund’s Agro Innovation Lab, the Wiesner Bauer Hof and the Winery Christ in the Weinviertel.
Further information about the conference is available on the ÖGA website. The conference proceedings are also available for download.
