Services provided by the Social Sciences Unit include

• Coordination of NOBL: a network concerning organic agriculture & food research 
  The network brings together relevant stakeholders (researchers, policymakers, the agricultural sector, etc.) to generate and disseminate knowledge and information for the organic sector in Flanders. It mainly acts as a platform for discussion and communication.
• Provision of agri-environmental indicators
  Research on indicators of the relationship between agriculture and the environment provides an important basis for monitoring. Since 2001 our activities include contributions to the annual State of the Environment Report (MIRA), for which among others the eco-efficiency of the agricultural sector is determined.
• Advice on the implementation of MOTIFS, the Monitoring Tool for Integrated Farm Sustainability
  MOTIFS is an instrument for sustainability assessment at the farm level. It was designed to help farmers toward more sustainable production while considering economic, ecological and social aspects. The Social Sciences Unit advises farm consultancy and accountancy agencies, extension agents and public authorities who want to start using the instrument with their customers.
• Advice for policymakers
  • Application of available models to analyse possible consequences of policy measures. This can be at the farm level or for the entire sector and takes both economic and environmental outcomes into account.
  • Advice concerning policy issues, usually on topical matters (in the past recommendations have been formulated concerning rural development, organic farming, manure policy, sugar policy, rural development, and others).
• Organisation of activities to stimulate knowledge exchange
  • The Social Sciences Unit uses ever more qualitative research methods. The Community of Practice Qualitative Research (CoPKO) regularly invites external researchers to share their knowledge and expertise concerning qualitative research in interactive sessions with participants from within or outside the unit.
  • International conferences have been (co-)organized concerning agricultural economics (EAAE 2008 congress, external link) and on the interaction between agriculture and care (Community of Practice Farming for Health 2007).