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Our team at the Professorship of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Policy seeks to understand how agricultural, food and environmental policies influence human and natural resource use and thus contribute to achieving societal goals. Technical and social change in agriculture gives rise to conflicts with consumer expectations of ecologically sound, locally, or “fair” produced and traded food. For example, more intensive cropping or livestock husbandry potentially enhance the productivity of scarce environmental resources such as arable soils or water. They thus contribute to global food security and income generation in rural areas. However, such intensification and commercialisation stoke resentment on the side of consumers and advocacy groups concerned about pollution, animal welfare, or the future of family farming. Our research engages theories, collects evidence and conducts analysis in order to design policies that mitigate such trade-offs.