The research focus of IBF is the integrated modeling of natural resources and ecosystems management using IIASA models such as the Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM) for the development of transformations in food and bio-based sectors that enable satisfying human needs while ensuring the sustainable use of terrestrial and marine environments.
The IBF Group strives to bring about transformations in the use and management of terrestrial, fresh water, and marine ecosystems for “happy people on a healthy planet” by informing national and international policies, and by engaging with businesses and civil society. For this, the group relies on a suite of well-established models, including the Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM) and the Global Forest Model (G4M), as well as its reputation as a credible partner in concrete policy/regulatory processes.
The group’s key research areas include:
- Land, water, and oceans management focusing on primary producers in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries and their impact on the environment, including land-based climate change mitigation.
- Bio-based sectors integrating consumers and producers across food, fibre, and fuel supply chains.
- Shocks, adaptation, and resilience within bio-based sectors including weather extremes.
- Food, nutrition, and poverty, as the main social outcomes of land, water, and oceans use.
- Integrated biosphere foresight and solutions developing forward-looking scenarios for the assessment of potential synergies and trade-offs between relevant Sustainable Development Goals at regional and global scales, and exploring national and international options for their achievement to inform policymaking.
Projects
Staff
News
01 March 2024
Tackling climate change risk across Europe
08 February 2024
IIASA research informs the European Commission's recommendation for 90% greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2040
27 November 2023
A credible path for Brazil to reach net zero by 2050 depends on nature-based solutions
Events
Focus
11 November 2023
Communicating research into climate mitigation policies
09 October 2023
Chocolate, systems thinking, and tomorrow's global citizens
Using the journey of chocolate, from the sun-drenched cocoa plantations to the sweet bars that we all know and love, IIASA researchers Ali Kharrazi and Zuelclady Araujo Gutierrez recently guided a group of young learners through the practical applications of systems thinking and life-cycle analysis in our everyday lives.
Publications
Haddad, S., Escobar Lanzuela, N. , Bruckner, M., & Britz, W. (2024). Subsidizing extensive cattle production in the European Union has major implications for global agricultural trade and climate change. Journal of Cleaner Production 448 e141074. 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141074. Nakhavali, A., Lauerwald, R., Regnier, P., & Friedlingstein, P. (2024). Historical trends and drivers of the laterally transported terrestrial dissolved organic carbon to river systems. Science of the Total Environment 917 e170560. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170560. Burian, A., Kremen, C., Wu, J.S.-T., Beckmann, M., Bulling, M., Garibaldi, L.A., Krisztin, T. , Mehrabi, Z., Ramankutty, N., & Seppelt, R. (2024). Biodiversity–production feedback effects lead to intensification traps in agricultural landscapes. Nature Ecology & Evolution 10.1038/s41559-024-02349-0. (In Press) Derci Augustynczik, A.L., Gusti, M., Di Fulvio, F. , Lauri, P., Forsell, N., & Havlik, P. (2024). Modelling the effects of climate and management on the distribution of deadwood in European forests. Journal of Environmental Management 354 e120382. 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120382. Di Fulvio, F. , Acuna, M., Ackerman, P.., Ackerman, S., Spinelli, R., Abbas, D., Kaakkurivaara, N., Sánchez-García, S., & Guerra, S.P.S. (2024). Benchmarking operational conditions, productivity, and costs of harvesting from industrial plantations in different global regions. International Journal of Forest Engineering 1-26. 10.1080/14942119.2023.2296789. Lu, H., Wang, X., Zhang, H., Xie, X., Nakhavali, A., Quine, T.A., Xu, W., Xia, J., He, B., Hao, Z., Geng, X., & Yuan, W. (2024). Soil Organic Carbon Lateral Movement Processes Integrated Into a Terrestrial Ecosystem Model. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 16 (1) e2023MS003916. 10.1029/2023MS003916.