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.
