Evaluation of political control instruments for the Swiss alpine region

This paper analyses different direct payments system for the Swiss alpine region based on the multi-agent model SWISSland. Moreover, the future demand and management of the alpine pastures are simulated under different scenarios until 2020. In the model, agents are representing existing summer farms and are able to interact with each other. The results imply that the current direct payment system for the Swiss alpine region is effective and able to maintain a stable development until 2020. Since the land management in the alpine region is the activity that provides public goods, it would be reasonable to enforce payments that maximize the area of summered land. A change to contributions coupled to the surfaces could achieve the desired management of the alpine pastures meaning, at the same time, a need of proper monitoring systems.