Agriculture and Environment: the inclusion of Italy in the SIMPLE and SIMPLE-G models

Abstract

The paper presents a methodological contribution to analysing the interactions between economic and environmental factors by using the Simplified International Model of Agricultural Prices, Land Use and Environment (SIMPLE) model and its gridded version (SIMPLE-G). While SIMPLE addresses national agricultural trends, SIMPLE-G offers a detailed, spatially disaggregated analysis essential for assessing local impacts. We improve these models by building a comprehensive database, capturing aggregate and georeferenced data regarding Italy. The use of the models with the extended dataset may support the implementation of adaptation strategies offering boundary conditions for local decision-makers while reflecting the impact of policies on national and global variables. The article outlines the models’ structure, data sources, and calibration process, providing a preliminary application of SIMPLE for updating the baseline.