06.10.2023
On 27-28 September 2023, the first "Agricultural Systems of the Future Summit" with over 150 participants took place. The international conference met on the topic of transformation towards sustainability in the agricultural and food sector at the Archenhold Observatory in Berlin. The summit was hosted by the BMBF funding line "Agricultural Systems of the Future".
Klaus-Peter Michel from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research opened the event and affirmed that the "Agricultural Systems of the Future" are developing unconventional concepts and that these are necessary to address the major challenge of securing our food supply while conserving natural resources.
Afterwards, Harald Grethe, Professor of International Agricultural Trade and Development at the Humboldt University in Berlin, gave a keynote on the interplay between technological and behavioural change to achieve sustainable agricultural and food systems. He made it clear that both technological and societal behavioural change are needed. In addition, he stressed that science-based strategies and measures should be attractive to those who have to implement them.
On the second day, Christine Lang, Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the Technical University of Berlin and member of the International Advisory Council for Global Bioeconomy (IACGB) opened the main part of the conference. In her keynote speech, she emphasised that the bioeconomy is a crucial solution for a fossil-free, sustainable, regenerative and cycle-oriented global economy. New technologies and social innovations are key elements for a bioeconomy based on bioresources and science.
Rebecca Klopsch and Monika Schreiner (IGZ) from the coordination office of the "Agricultural Systems of the Future" then moderated the panel discussion on the topic of "Agricultural Systems of the Future - Food (Retro) Perspectives under the Sign of the Bioeconomy". Invited guests were Sabine Kulling (coordinator of the BMBF innovation space "NewFoodSystems" and head of the Institute for Safety and Quality in Fruit and Vegetables of the Max Rubner Institute), Christine Lang and Matthias Lech (co-founder MaKers-Lab). Kulling made clear: "The transformation of agri-food systems towards sustainability is a multi-stakeholder approach involving a multitude of stakeholders. It is complicated and we need to engage the public." Collaborative creativity is needed for this, she said, and farmers who drive change. We need to strengthen these, Lech added.
The panel discussion was followed by lectures and presentations by international experts from science and practice on three topics:
1. Sustainable and innovative land use through integrative indoor production and recycling systems.
2. Digitalisation as the key to sustainable and effective land management systems
3. Transforming agricultural systems - creating technological and social change
The prize for the best poster was presented by Sabine Kulling to Jasper Mohr, Thomas Gaiser, Max Frohberg, Almut Haub, Paul Mosebach and Inga Schleip from the Institute of Crop Sciences and Resource Conservation at the University of Bonn. The poster dealt with the work on a bioacoustic concept for the detection and quantification of biodiversity in grasslands.
The aim of the conference was to present research-based new solutions to current challenges in agricultural economics and nutrition, and at the same time to strengthen the national network of agricultural science and agricultural economics experts in order to gain more visibility and influence in the international research community. An important part of the "Agricultural Systems of the Future Summit 2023" is therefore the embedding of German activities in international policies and international research strategies for the transformation of agricultural systems.
