Funding priority
Our agricultural systems are facing major challenges
Climate change
With the effects of climate change, the risk of crop failures due to weather extremes such as floods and prolonged dry periods will continue to increase in the future. At the same time, the land available for agriculture is limited and even decreasing, e.g. due to soil erosion or salinization.
Species extinction
Current industrial agriculture is considered a major cause of species extinction and biodiversity loss. The growing demand for production areas continues to lead increasingly to the destruction of fragile ecosystems and the loss of important ecosystem services.
Population growth
In less than 30 years, there will be more than ten billion people on earth - that's about 2.4 billion more than today. To feed all the world's people, agricultural production will have to increase dramatically.
Urbanization
More and more people are pushing from the countryside into the city: According to UN calculations, around 80% of people will be living in cities by 2050. Food production must adapt to this trend.
Trade conflicts
Geopolitical instability, economic foreclosure and pandemics can be additional factors of uncertainty. Trade conflicts are already affecting the availability of agricultural products.
Transformation
Agricultural production is criticized as a contributor to climate change due to its considerable greenhouse gas emissions and high resource consumption.
However, even though agricultural production currently contributes to many environmental and climate problems, it also has great potential to establish itself as an innovative industry of the future.
Vision and Mission
The agricultural economy is facing major and diverse challenges. But what kind of agricultural economy are we aiming for and how do we want to achieve it? As the »Agricultural Systems of the Future« funding program, we have asked ourselves these questions and summarized our vision and mission in statements.
Our Vision
»Our vision is a fair, reliable and responsible agricultural economy from countryside to city that places people and the environment at the center. For sustainably produced food on every plate.«
Our Mission
»Our mission is to transform the agricultural economy in the direction of the bioeconomy. To achieve this, we investigate, develop and conduct tests of innovative solutions in dialog with all stakeholders. From farm to fork - and back.«
Aspects of the Transformation
Transfer of the principles of the bioeconomy to the agricultural economy
Sustainability
New material flows, circulation-oriented
Linking ecology and economy
Inter- and transdisciplinary research in dialogue with society as a whole
Use of real laboratories and living labs
Research/promotion of bioeconomic innovations
Design and implementation of system solutions
Participation for the development of socially accepted solutions
Systemic view
Value chain from farm to fork and back again
Enabling synergies via networking
System openness without established path dependencies