Two-part interview part 1 | Prof. Dr. Regina Birner on the green genetic engineering debate - 12/08/2019 Agricultural economist Birner calls for other forms of dialogue besides organized interest groups Green genetic engineering continues to divide opinion in Germany in the same way as CRISPR/Cas and other genome editing (GE) techniques. What are the consequences for the bioeconomy, which involves key areas of biotechnology? We talked with Prof. Dr. Regina Birner, agricultural economist and head of Hohenheim University’s Department of Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural Development at the Institute of Agricultural and Social…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/agricultural-economist-birner-calls-for-other-forms-of-dialogue-besides-organized-interest-groups
Event - 18/01/2023 - 21/01/2023 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture Berlin (Germany), Kongress/Symposium https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/events/global-forum-food-and-agriculture
Dossier - 09/04/2018 Digitisation in agriculture - from precision farming to farming 4.0 Automated steering systems, data-driven targeted application of fertilisers and pesticides, field robots and drones, soil analysis sensors, autonomous driving - digitisation is advancing in agriculture as elsewhere. The question asked by farmers and by society in general is whether the increasing adoption of digital technologies in agriculture is a curse or a blessing.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/digitisation-in-agriculture-from-precision-farming-to-farming-40
Press release - 07/12/2021 Best Global Universities Ranking 2022: University of Hohenheim Remains No. 1 in Agricultural Research & Food Sciences Once again Germany's no. 1 in agricultural research as well as food and nutritional science: The University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart. It remains in 7th place in Europe and comes in 34th place worldwide. This is the result of the latest Best Global Universities ranking by the U.S. magazine U.S. News & World Report in cooperation with Clarivate.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/best-global-universities-ranking-2022-uni-hohenheim-bleibt-nr-1-agrarforschung-food-sciences
The “Rhizo-Lentil" EIP-AGRI project - 03/03/2020 University of Hohenheim wants to improve the conditions for lentil cultivation Lentils were once considered poor man’s food, but in Germany demand for them has never been greater. And to satisfy this growing demand, more lentils need to be cultivated. This is why the University of Hohenheim is involved in the EIP-AGRI "Rhizo-Linse" project. The aim of the project is to find rhizobia strains that go well with lentil plants to increase yield and improve quality.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/University-of-Hohenheim-wants-to-improve-the-conditions-for-lentil-cultivation
Dossier - 09/12/2013 Industrial biotechnology biological resources for industrial processes Industrial or white biotechnology uses microorganisms and enzymes to produce goods for industry, including chemicals, plastics, food, agricultural and pharmaceutical products and energy carriers. Renewable raw materials and increasingly also waste from agriculture and forestry are used for the manufacture of industrial goods.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/industrial-biotechnology-biological-resources-for-industrial-processes
Carbon sequestration - 28/07/2022 Carbon farming - climate protection on agricultural land? Agriculture plays a key role in helping to achieve European climate targets. Central to this goal are measures that are collectively referred to as carbon farming and are often used for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. Two Baden-Württemberg companies - CarboCert and Carbonfuture - are active in addressing the challenges and potentials of carbon farming.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/carbon-farming-climate-protection-agricultural-land
Press release - 21/11/2022 2023 Best Global Universities rankings: University of Hohenheim comes top in Agricultural & Food Sciences Germany’s no. 1 for Agricultural Sciences, Food Sciences and Nutritional Sciences: The University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart retains its top position. It is ranked 9th in Europe and 39th worldwide, according to the latest Best Global Universities rankings by U.S. News & World Report in partnership with Clarivate.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/2023-best-global-universities-rankings-university-hohenheim-comes-top-agricultural-food-sciences
Press release - 22/02/2021 Dual Yield on Arable Land: Guideline for Agrivoltaics Published Agrivoltaics enables the dual use of arable land: Photovoltaic modules, which are mounted on a structure, generate renewable electricity and underneath agricultural crops grow. The approach increases land efficiency and could mitigate conflicts over the use of arable land in the future. A new guideline provides up-to-date information on the technology, its potential and the current state of development. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/Dual-Yield-on-Arable-Land-Guideline-for-Agrivoltaics-Published
Think Tank FYI: Agriculture 5.0 - 16/02/2023 Agriculture 5.0: fighting the climate crisis with agrophotovoltaics and biochar Climate protection, agriculture and biodiversity are closely intertwined. Agriculture 5.0 provides positive guidance, as the Offenburg University of Applied Sciences has demonstrated: agrophotovoltaics (or agrivoltaics), which is currently in vogue in Germany, can be used to generate solar power on high-yield fields. Biomass strips and biochar remove CO2 from the atmosphere. All this improves soil quality and promotes biodiversity.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/agriculture-50-fighting-climate-crisis-agrophotovoltaics-and-biochar
Paludiculture as a beacon of hope for the climate - 28/06/2022 Peatlands as CO2 reservoirs: simultaneous renaturation and use Peatlands store more carbon dioxide than any other ecosystem in the world. However, when drained, they become a climate-damaging source of CO2. The management of wet peatlands reveals exciting solutions, with market potential in the areas of local heating, insulation, packaging and even peat substitution.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/peatlands-co2-reservoirs-simultaneous-renaturation-and-use
Specialized in Sustainability - 30/09/2021 The circular economy of the future The research project RUN (Rural Urban Nutrient Partnership) explores how waste might be used more efficiently as a resource. In this project, Veronika Fendel investigates how recyclable materials from biowaste and domestic wastewater can be fed back into the material cycle in the best possible way.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/circular-economy-future
Press release - 09/12/2022 Digital Summit: Chancellor Scholz chooses Phoenix agricultural robot as his favorite AI & robotics from the University of Hohenheim advance environmental protection & sustainability in agriculture / German Chancellor Scholz impressed by potential of Swabian multi-talent robothttps://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/digital-gipfel-kanzler-scholz-waehlt-agrar-roboter-phoenix-zu-seinem-favoriten
Press release - 04/10/2021 European bioeconomy robust as bio-based industry turnover jumps to 780 billion EUR The bio-based industries continue their ascent marking a total contribution of 780 billion EUR, a notable increase of 30 billion EUR (+ 4%) compared to 2017. This represents a more than 20% increase compared to 2008 which is the earliest data taken into account in this series of reports by nova-Institute. The first report of the series was first commissioned by the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) in 2017.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/european-bioeconomy-robust-bio-based-industry-turnover-jumps-780-billion-eur
Urban agriculture - 23/04/2020 alphabeet – the green-fingered smartphone Given the challenges faced by modern agriculture, it is vital to raise people’s awareness of how to change their approach to food. The founders of the Stuttgart-based start-up company farmee GmbH see urban agriculture as the key to making this change possible. The company has developed “alphabeet”, an app designed to encourage consumers to produce their own food. After all, only those combining knowledge and practical experience can be expected…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/alphabeet-the-green-fingered-smartphone
Outlook on the future of agriculture - 30/11/2020 Agriculture 4.0 - ultramodern and without harmful plant protection products The demand for organic products is continuing to grow; at the same time nature is being preserved – so why not switch completely to organic farming? The answer is simple: because not everyone can afford it, and with current consumption patterns not everyone would get enough to eat. A cooperative project is researching an an agricultural system that falls between conventional and organic farming.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/Agriculture-4-0-ultramodern-and-without-harmful-plant-protection-products
Dossier - 14/05/2012 Biogas a promising source of renewable energy? In addition to sunlight water and wind biogas is a regenerative source of energy that contributes to saving fossil resources. Germany is home to around 7100 biogas plants including 796 as of 2011 in Baden-Württemberg. In 2010 these facilities produced 11 per cent of the electricity generated from renewables in Germany. Energy-rich methane is the major constituent of biogas and is produced when organic compounds are broken down by bacteria in the…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/biogas-a-promising-source-of-renewable-energy
Press release - 06/04/2021 Showcase Bioeconomy: Industrial crops make unproductive farmland profitable European project with participation of the University of Hohenheim investigates how unprofitable fields can be used sustainably while adding value with renewable raw materials.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/schaufenster-biooekonomie-industriepflanzen-machen-unproduktives-ackerland-rentabel
Phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge - 21/10/2020 Bacteria help to recycle phosphorus Biotechnology for the bioeconomy: in something known as the P-bac process, sulphur bacteria extract phosphorus from sewage sludge ash. Phosphorus is one of the key building blocks of life and an essential nutrient for plant growth. When there is not enough phosphorus in the soil, farmers apply it via organic or mineral fertilisers.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/bacteria-help-recycle-phosphorus
Project FuTuReS - 12/12/2022 Microalgae - high-quality products for domestic agriculture? Algae are aquatic organisms that flourish in a huge variety of species. But that's not all: they are also small green mini-factories that can produce all kinds of valuable materials. All they need is water, light, CO2 and a few nutrients that can be recycled from biogas or sewage treatment plants. Researchers have now determined the optimal framework conditions and practicability of process methods for agricultural algae cultivation.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/microalgae-high-quality-products-domestic-agriculture
Press release - 18/01/2022 Metal strip refiner HUEHOCO is a new shareholder of carbonauten and acquires 5 percent of the shares The HUEHOCO GROUP Holding GmbH & Co. KG, a family-owned company from Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, has acquired a 5 percent stake in carbonauten GmbH. The start-up is in negotiations with further interested parties from Germany and Japan. With the international metal strip refiner HUEHOCO Group, which has sites on 4 continents, the "minus CO2 factory" has acquired its first industrial partner.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/metal-strip-refiner-huehoco-new-shareholder-carbonauten-and-acquires-5-percent-shares
Lentil cultivation and cleaning on the farm - EIP-AGRI Rhizo-Linse project - 16/03/2022 Lentils return to the Heckengäu region Lentils are among the oldest crop plants in Central European agriculture and were once a popular food in ancient Egypt, Persia and Mesopotamia. The legume was widespread in Germany until the mid-20th century, but has since disappeared completely from farmers’ fields. Over the past decade, lentils have reappeared as a crop grown locally and are cultivated in harmony with nature.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/lentils-return-heckengaeu-region
Press release - 16/05/2023 Biocomposite at the Venice Architecture Biennale This year's Venice Architecture Biennale sees itself as a "Laboratory of the Future". Bio-composites are not just dreams of the future in architecture. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) have developed a sustainable material for support profiles and connecting nodes, which will be on display at Palazzo Mora during the Biennale from May 20 to November 26. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/bioverbundwerkstoff-auf-der-architektur-biennale-venedig
CRISPR/Cas9 and genetic engineering laws - 27/11/2019 Transgene-free plant breeding using genome editing Plant geneticists from Tübingen have used genome deletion to breed a variety of tomato that is resistant to powdery mildew. The CRISPR/Cas9 technology that they used enabled them to achieve this in a relatively short period of time. They also demonstrated beyond any doubt that the new tomato variety contains no foreign DNA and is indistinguishable from naturally occurring deletion mutants.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/transgene-free-plant-breeding-using-genome-editing
Press release - 16/11/2022 Joint research and development project improves herbicide treatment with high-performance sensors Optical technologies & artificial intelligence: University of Hohenheim, Bosch, Amazonen-Werke, and BASF Digital Farming conducts research into high-performance sensors for smart herbicide treatmenthttps://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/joint-research-and-development-project-improves-herbicide-treatment-high-performance-sensors