Fabian Thomas

Dr. Fabian Thomas is a Researcher in the Department of Environmental Economics at the University of Osnabrück's School of Business Administration and Economics. His work focuses on behavioral and experimental economics applied to agricultural contexts, particularly examining how psychological, economic, and institutional factors influence farmers' environmental decisions. He investigates effective policy design for sustainable agriculture, leveraging interdisciplinary methods that bridge economics, ecology, and social sciences. His research emphasizes stakeholder collaboration to ensure practical policy relevance.

Key research areas include result-based agri-environmental schemes, voluntary vs. mandatory policy interventions, and the integration of environmental considerations into agricultural policy. He has conducted extensive experimental studies with German farmers, analyzing topics like risk-sharing mechanisms and the efficacy of collective contracts.

Dr. Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Natural Sciences and maintains an interdisciplinary approach, engaging with transformation research and systems science. His work often addresses challenges in EU agricultural policy, such as the Common Agricultural Policy's 'greening' initiatives. He also leads the Experimental Economics Laboratory at Westerberg, advancing applied research in sustainable development.