The Austrian Association for Agricultural and Environmental
Research
(OeVAF)
Österreichische Vereinigung für Agrar-, Lebens- und Umweltwissenschaftliche Forschung
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Österreichische Vereinigung für Agrar-, Lebens-
und Umweltwissenschaftliche Forschung (OeVAF) |
Establishment and Mission
Council Members and Staff Members
Current and Future Activities
Present and Future Priority Fields
- Resource efficient and sustainable technologies;
- Energy supply services;
- Sustainable economy;
- Agriculture and nutrition;
- Nature conservation and ecology;
- Water and natural material cycles.
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Background and Mission
Establishment
The OeVAF was founded in 1977 as an interdisciplinary platform for scientific agricultural research. In 2002 - coinciding with the publication of the Austrian Strategy for Sustainable Development - the OeVAF constituted itself as a scientific network for sustainable development. The OeVAF is a non-profit association with its headquarters in Vienna. It is sponsored by the Republic of Austria represented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology and the Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture, and the Provincial Governments. Furthermore there are various institutions, companies and private individuals from the areas of research, education and administration who are members and patrons.
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Mission
The OeVAF is an independent organisation for research, co-ordination and consulting for sustainable development. According to its motto: "tackle the problems before they become problems", the OeVAF aims to contribute to solving imminent problems in a fashion that is comprehensive, ecological, socially sound, economically correct and above all, sustainable.
The OeVAF operates in Austria and throughout Europe in the area of research. The expertise needed to fulfill the aims and the tasks of the OeVAF is warranted by a council of experts which is organised as an active scientific network.
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Council Members
The OeVAF has 30 Council Members who are delegates
of all nine Länder (Regions) and the Government of Austria, the
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President Prof. Dr. Leopold März |
University of Agriculture, Institute of Chemistry, Vienna |
| Vice
Presidents Prof. Dr. Hubert Dürrstein |
University of Agriculture, Institute of Forestry, Vienna |
| SG. SC. Dr. Reinhard Mang | Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management, Secretary General of BMLFUW and Director General of Directorate General II – Sustainable Development |
| Dipl.-Ing.LR Josef Plank | Minister of Agriculture and Environment of the Regional Government of the Federal Land of Lower Austria |
| Treasurers Dipl.-Ing. Karl Bauer |
Austrian
Chamber of Agriculture,
Division
of Agricultural Markets and Agricultural Policies |
| Dr. Alfred Stockinger | Director, Directorate for Agriculture and Veterinary Affairs. Government of the Federal Land of Burgenland |
| Scientific network
chair Dr. Horst Steinmüller |
Energy Institute, Johannes Kepler University Linz |
| Additional members of the
chair SG. Dipl.-Ing. August Astl |
Secretary General of the Standing Committee of the
Presidents of the Austrian Chambers of Agriculture, Vienna |
| MR. Dipl.-Ing. Michael Paula | Federal Ministry for Transport,
Innovation and Technology; |
| Dr. Christian Smoliner | Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Vienna |
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Staff Members
The Council has a secretariat of two staff, the Head of Office and Scientif Staff, Dipl.Ing. Dr. Martin Maria Krachler is the Head of Office and a secretary/communications assistant.
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Work Style
Tasks of the Council
The tasks and aims are:
- Organization and scientific preparation of congresses and workshops in order to
identify future questions and to offer solutions;
- Working on research projects for strategic planning of sustainable development
requiring interdisciplinary co-operation;
- Bridging the gap between the sciences and practice for the furtherance of
implementing sustainable development;
- Constantly analysing progress in
- Prompt and efficient consulting, scientific expertise for members (national
and regional authorities, private members);
- Serving as an independent consulting and assessment body in the co-operation of federal and state institutions in the area of research.
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Substructure and Working Groups
In order to ensure efficient work, the network is organised on three levels and consists of:
- the network nodes functioning as scientific critical mass;
- the collegiate of network nodes serving as a strategic body for reflection as well as
- the network management ensuring scientific and administrative leadership.
The individual nodes are headed by outstanding expert scientists who are well experienced in interdisciplinary co-operation and who are backed both by strong research institutions and by a sound networking system on a national and international scale.
The network nodes are as follows:
- Resource Efficient and Sustainable Technologies: This node offers expert consulting for technological development and technology evaluation from the perspective of sustainability. It is also dedicated to comprehensively developing technologies based on renewable resources as a significant cornerstone of a sustainable management of material cycles.
- Energy Supply Services: It deals with organisational challenges and in consequence performs macro-economic and legal analyses in order to achieve a change in the existing energy supply systems towards saving energy demands and broader use of renewable sources of energy.
- Sustainable Economy: Viewing society as an integral system comprehensive innovating strategies are elaborated in co-operation with other network nodes comprising the following areas of activity: Consumption and Business (function and demand oriented revenue strategies), Policy (framework conditions for sustainable development), and Institutions (organisational innovations).
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology: When aiming to overcome conflicting land use issues comprehensive interdisciplinary projects have proven to be successful. Given that such projects include participants of the various interest groups right from the start they thus warrant implementation-oriented research.
- Agriculture and Nutrition: It deals with the ecological impact of agriculture and with the quality of food and preserving its high standards. The tasks involve proper and environmentally sound agriculture, qualitative preservation of cultivated land as well as providing the consumer with sustainably produced foodstuffs of high quality.
- Forest, Wood, and Protection from Natural Hazards: Tasks focus on landscape development, land use concerning forests and related sectors, watershed management, the protection from natural hazards as well as the use of the renewable resource wood. Given the many varying claims on forests, issues concerning land use are being dealt with beyond the traditional area of forest research. Moreover economic, political, and social aspects will be included additionally to ecologic aspects in finding solutions.
- Water and Natural Material Cycles: It examines the impact various forms of land use have on the quantity and quality of water and waters in an interdisciplinary fashion. Furthermore it deals with strategies and rehabilitation measures which make provisions towards the protection of water resources and waters.
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Council Meetings
The Managing Board of OeVAF meets twice a year, once in spring and once in fall. The Annual Plenary Meeting of all Members takes place once a year, normally in spring.
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Activities in the EEAC Network
The OeVAF was involved in the early years of the network and became member when membership was introduced in 1997.
It is an active member of the Working Groups Agriculture and Energy and Biodiversity.
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List of Selected Publications
You can search for the full list of policy advice in our Search Engine which also includes the titles in English of publications available in original language only.
- Strategy of the Government of Lower Austria on Green House Gas Emissions, (2007);
- Riebelmais in Vorarlberg: 2nd phase, (2007);
- Scientific conference on renewable raw materials – challenges and consequences for Austria, (September 2007);
- Consequences of CAP - Reform 2003 (Fischler - reform) on Investment Behaviour of farmers in selected Lower Austrian farms, (May 2007)
- Innovative Potential in Primary Production and Food Processing under the aspect of sustainability, (May 2007);
- Biosphere Reserve Koralm, Styria - A feasibility study, (October 2006);
- Modern use of renewable energy sources as well as rising energy efficiency on the example of decentralized dehydration of pomes and drupe. Evaluation of actually used proceedings and new developments, (October 2005);
- Effects of protected areas under Natura 2000 on the development of the rural areas on the example of the Western Weinviertel, (September 2005);
- Wohlmeyer, H., Quendler, T. (2002): The World Trade Organisation, Agriculture and Sustainable Development;
- Wohlmeyer, H., Quendler, T. (2000): Analysis of the Effects of the present World Trade Order on the Agricultural Markets in the light of conditioning sustainable development. Identification of necessary changes and proposals for the positioning of Austria within the coming WTO-negotiations. Research Project AAAR. Vienna;
- EU Quality of Life Panel, (June 2000): Five Year Assessment Report Related To The Specific Programme: Quality Of Life And Management Of Living Resources Covering The Period 1995 – 1999. The Panel: Peder Olesen-Larsen (Chairman), Marja Sorsa, Heinrich Wohlmeyer, Kai Simons, John G. Pope, Peter C. Scriba, Renato Ugo, Lucien Laubier, Michael Elves, Marta Victor (Rapporteur). Brussels;
- Wohlmeyer, H., 1999: Integration of Environmental and Agricultural Policy. Report to the Focal Point of the European Advisory Councils. Vienna.
- Wohlmeyer, H., (1999): Strategies for the 21st Century. Deficits, Goals and Instruments. Proceedings of the conference "Sustainibility 21"; EEAC, 4. – 6. November 1999 in Helsinki;
- Wohlmeyer, H., (1998): Agro-eco-restructuring: potential for sustainability. Chapter 9 in: R. U. Ayres et al. (Eds.): Eco-restructuring: Implications for Sustainable Development. United Nations University Press. Tokyo. p 276–310. – UNUP-984 ·ISBN 92-808-0984-9.
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Copyright ©
2000-2008 by European
Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils, Den
Haag. All Rights Reserved.
Last update: 22 April 2008