Approaches to research in support to agricultural policy: the experience of the CAP-IRE project

The Common Agricultural Policy is the main agricultural policy in Europe and one the main chapters of the European Union’s budget. It has been subject of several studies, also due to its continuous reform process. The objective of the paper is to present and discuss the approach of the project CAP-IRE and to derive insights from such experience in view of the present perspectives for agricultural policy. After outlining the present trends and perspectives in the CAP and reviewing the main methods used in the literature to provide policy support, it turns to an illustration of the contents of the project CAP-IRE, its methods and organization. Some selected results of the project are illustrated, by considering two overarching issues, i.e. the exit mechanisms and farm-household innovativeness. The paper closes with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the approach and an account of the main research needs identified for the future.