A bio-economic model to simulate farmers behaviour in a Mediterranean desertification risky area: data needs and empirical evidences

Farmers, actors that use soil at most, take decision on land use considering many aspects, from the strictly economics to the biological ones. Traditionally, behavioural models only consider markets factors combined such a manner to maximize a farm profit function. Differently from many other sectors, most European farms are managed by family, which often own the land they use. Given the small size, many of these family farms allow some of the family members to work outside the farm. Their decision on resource allocation is even more complex than the usual maximization process, tipycal of any enterprise. When soil degradation, or other environmental concerns, coming into account, then the behavioural patterns of this farmers became a very difficult task. By using the theory of Agricultural household model and empirical evidences on vegetation impact on soil degradation, a theoretical model has been developed and pre-assessed in a typical Mediterranean risky area. Then the interpreting and simulation ability and data need have been described.