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
04 November 2026
SPARCCLE Consortium Meets in Athens to Set the Course for the Final Phase
Project partners from across Europe gathered in Athens on 29-30 September 2026 for the in-person General Assembly of the SPARCCLE project. Hosted by the E3-Modelling team of WSP, the two-day meeting provided an important opportunity to take stock of progress, consolidate research findings, and align on the project’s final outputs as it enters its concluding phase.
22 October 2026
André Nakhavali to receive prestigious 2027 Kamide Lecture Award in Biogeosciences
IIASA researcher André (Mahdi) Nakhavali will receive the 2027 Kamide Lecture Award in Biogeosciences from the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS), in recognition of the excellence, originality, and potential impact of his research. The award will be formally presented at the AOGS 2027 Annual Meeting, where he will also deliver an invited lecture to the international geoscience community.
22 October 2026
Global agricultural productivity growth is in decline
Global agricultural productivity growth has hit its lowest level since the 1970s, threatening future food security. IIASA researchers contributed to Chapter 3 of the 2026 GAP Report published by the Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Initiative at Virginia Tech, exploring how regenerative agriculture could help reverse this trend while improving farm profitability and resilience.
Events
Focus
Annual Report 2025: Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program Highlights
Balancing the needs of people and nature is one of the defining challenges of our time. Throughout 2025, the Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program advanced research on how societies can pursue climate, biodiversity, and development goals while managing growing pressures on land, water, energy, and ecosystems.
08 April 2026
Forest Talks webinar explores integrating Earth observation and national forest inventories across Europe
The most recent edition of the Forest Talks webinar series – jointly hosted by the ForestNavigator project (coordinated by IIASA) together with the ForestPaths and PathFinder projects – brought together researchers, modelers, and national reporting experts to discuss advances in Earth observation (EO) for forest monitoring and greenhouse gas inventory support across Europe.
Publications
Renhart, A., Krisztin, T. , & Piribauer, P. (2026). The Impact of the EU Common Agricultural Policy on Regional Agricultural Productivity. Agricultural Economics 57 (6) e70148. 10.1111/agec.70148.
Ma, M., Wang, S., Zhao, B., Xu, H., Jiang, Y., Song, Q., Sun, Y., Yin, D., Li, S., Piao, S., Liu, Q., He, H., Zhao, J., He, K., & Hao, J. (2026). Afforestation and Emission Cuts: Dual Drivers for China’s Clean Air and Carbon Neutrality. Environmental Science & Technology 60 (40) 28935-28945. 10.1021/acs.est.6c04722.
Chlela, S., Forsell, N., & Selosse, S. (2026). Land–energy nexus to assess the contribution of carbon dioxide removal in net-zero emission pathways. Applied Energy 421 e128215. 10.1016/j.apenergy.2026.128215.
Ramírez-Mejía, D., Boere, E., Nguyen, V.T.H., Negret, P.J., Zaehringer, J.G., Davin, E.L., Valdés-Velásquez, A., Havlik, P. , Zinngrebe, Y., Messerli, P., & Verburg, P.H. (2026). Land-system spillovers reveal trade-offs in conserving 30% of land. One Earth 9 (9) e101812. 10.1016/j.oneear.2026.101812.
Waha, K., Rötzer, S., De Vos, K. , Grewer, U., Tomes, A., & Mechiche-Alami, A. (2026). African Crop Calendar: A geo-referenced dataset of crop growing seasons across diverse agro-ecological regions. Scientific Data 13 (1) e1229. 10.1038/s41597-026-07906-9.
Hristov, J., Frank, S. , Krisztin, T. , Havlik, P. , & Haniotis, A. (2026). Assessing the 2028–2034 CAP Reform: A Budget- and Payment-Driven Scenario Analysis Using the GLOBIOM Partial Equilibrium Model. Studies in Agricultural Economics 128 (2) 90-101. 10.7896/j.3798.