WIFO Economist Katharina Falkner Honoured with ÖGA Prize

In her dissertation project, Falkner developed a statistical model to analyse the distribution and abundance of the Western Corn Rootworm in Austria. In the next step, she applied this model within an integrated modelling framework, i.e., in combination with other disciplinary models, such as a climate model and an economic optimisation model, to analyse the economic and ecological effects of crop rotation diversification as an alternative pest control measures to pesticide applications. In order to take uncertainties with regard to future climate conditions into account, she performed the analysis for three climate scenarios. The work was supervised by Erwin Schmid and Hermine Mitter (both BOKU Vienna, Institute for Sustainable Economic Development) as well as Elena Moltchanova (University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand).

The dissertation was honoured in the presence of the reviewer Benjamin Leon Bodirsky (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research – PIK) at the annual conference of the Austrian Society of Agricultural Economics. The award is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Tourism and the certificate was handed over virtually by Director-General Reinhard Mang.

Katharina Falkner has been working as an economist in the research group "Climate, Environmental and Resource Economics" at WIFO since 2022. She is also a research associate at the Institute for Sustainable Economic Development at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), where she completed her doctoral studies in social and economic sciences in 2022. Her research interests include (agricultural) climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental economics, sustainable development, and sustainable land use. On a methodological level, her research focus is on quantitative research approaches and integrated land use modeling. Her professional experience includes participation in national research projects (ACRP, ÖAW, StartClim) and teaching at BOKU Vienna. After her bachelor studies in Environmental and Bioresource Management at BOKU Vienna, she completed her master studies in Agricultural and Food Economics (focus on: Agricultural and Food Policy; Regional Development and Rural Sociology). During her research work at BOKU Vienna, she spent a research period at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The ÖGA is an institution for the scientific discourse of social, political and economic agendas of the agricultural sector. The ÖGA seeks to improve communication among researchers, to facilitate the exchange of experience, opinions, and ideas as well as networking among peers.