The Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group (AEP) of WU carries out leading research in the field of bioeconomy economics and policies. Themes of the research can be clustered into:

• Markets and policies theme focuses on the impact policy changes in EU, development and regulation in Bioeconomy, safety regulation in novel products and biofuel policies and their market effect around the world.
• Spatial structures theme includes on the provision of green services, landscape valuation, rural policy modelling and land use analysis. Bioeconomy research relates to the land use and multifunctionality of rural areas with increased competition for land and natural resources under this theme.
• Institutional and organizational economic aspects theme focuses on agri-food value chains, contract farming and agri-environmental schemes, and the vertical and horizontal coordination in emerging global value chains of the Bioeconomy.