Browsing by Subject "Nachhaltigkeit"

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Agriculture in responsibility for our common world
(2022) Raupp, Manfred G.; Thomas, Angelika; Schüle, Heinrich; Carabet, Alin Flavius; Salasan, Cosmin; Fora, Ciprian George; Weinmann, Markus; Madora GmbH; University of Hohenheim, Institute of Crop Science; Klara Bradacova
The vocational training course program “Agriculture in Responsibility for our common World” organised within the frame of the Banat Green Deal Project “GreenERDE” (Education and Research in the context of the digital and ecological transformation of agriculture in the Banat Region and Baden-Württemberg - towards resource efficiency and resilience) and delivered between June 2021 and May 2022 targets the knowledge and experience transfer to the farmer community in the Banat Region, Romania and other parts of the world. Current and future challenges, such as the ecological conversion and digital transformation of agricultural production, but also social, economic and cultural aspects haven been addressed transcending prevailing patterns. The innovative and relevant knowledge originating from practice, experiments, research or development projects throughout Europe and other continents is presented in a training format for interested participants.
Agrobiodiversity and its use in Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve : implications for bio-cultural diversity conservation
(2012) Ghorbani Dahaneh, Abdolbaset; Sauerborn, Joachim
This study was conducted in the Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve (NRWNNR), Xishuangbanna Dai Prefecture, SW China and aimed at identifying the diversity of medicinal and food plants used by local people living in NRWNNR and documenting their applications. NRWNNR is diverse biologically and culturally and people living in its territories get benefits from their diverse natural environment. However the extension of cash crops such as rubber (Hevea brasilliens (Willd. ex A. Juss.) Müll. Arg.) plantations and fragmentation of natural habitats including forests resulted in decreasing biological diversity which could be used by the local people. This also put more pressure on the remaining forests and plant resources. In order to find sustainable alternatives to conserve biodiversity and at the same time helping the development of the area it is necessary to know the available resources in the area. Among important plant resources in the area are non-timber forest products with economic and cultural importance including medicinal and food plants. Therefore, using ethnobotanical methods this study intended to document wild medicinal and food plant resources used by ethnic groups and their use details including their collection practices, preparation methods and habitat preferences. Data on useful plant resources was used to identify the main land use sources of useful plants for local people. The study also intended to understand the role of these plants in local people?s livelihood by identifying economically important medicinal and food plants traded in the area. Vulnerability of plant species to resource exploitation and harvest sustainability for selected species were assessed. To achieve above mentioned objectives, an ethnobotanical inventory of useful wild plant resources was conducted in the area to collect data on wild plant resources and uses. Semi-structured, freelisting, and household interviews were conducted from January 2008 to January 2010. Informants from Dai, Hani, Lahu and Mountain Han ethnic groups were selected randomly for freelisting and semi-structured interviews and key informants by the snowball method. Household interviews were conducted in six villages. Interviews were also conducted with harvesters and traders. All interviews were supplemented with plant sample collection for botanical identification. Plant specimens were prepared, dried, and identified with the help of local botanists. To address the vulnerability and sustainability of plant harvest, strip-transects were used to estimate the density and distribution of selected species in natural populations. Results showed that 480 plant species (25% of recorded flora) from 117 families and 334 genera are used by the local population. From these, 378 species (19%) belonging to 102 families and 277 genera are used as medicine and 161 species (8%) representing 68 families and 116 genera are used as food plants. Concerning livelihood contribution, most of these plants are used at the subsistence level and not for income generation. However some households can get from 1.1% up to 25.4% of their total annual income from sale of few medicinal species. Among food plants only bamboo shoots and mushrooms contribute to the cash income of households with the highest share in BenGang Hani village (1.1%). Knowledge of medicinal plant use and folk medicine still exists in the area and there are local healers and practitioners who are active in some villages. However this knowledge shows some differences among ethnic groups. Number of medicinal plants used by Lahu and Hani is different and some species are solely known and used by only one ethnic group. Since these ethnic groups live in neighboring villages, it was expected that a large proportion of their medicinal plant knowledge is shared. However, the diversity of medicinal species utilized by the two ethnic groups show 30% overlap. Medicinal plants are grouped into different categories based on frequency of use. 1- Frequently used medicinal plants which are few in number. 2- A large number of medicinal species are only known and collected by traditional healers or some knowledgeable elderly people. 3- A few numbers of medicinal plants are frequently and in high amounts harvested by locale people for commercial purposes and not for self consumption. Examples of these species include Asparagus subscandens F.T. Wang & S.C. Chen, Asparagus filicinus Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don, Stemona tuberosa Lour. and Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (Franch) Hand -Mazz. Although use of these medicinal plants is known to traditional healers, majority of the villagers which are involved in harvesting of these species are not knowledgeable about their medicinal applications. In fact harvest is driven by market demand which is brought to the area by middlemen and retailers visiting the villages. Wild food plants are also grouped based on harvest and use frequency into different categories. The first group includes species with high frequency of use which have a very common distribution range in the area. Second group includes bamboo shoots and mushrooms which are traded to some extent. The last group includes a large number of species which are not used frequently but are potential food plants used only by a small proportion of the local population or during famine or crop failure periods. Based on vulnerability assessment of marketed species in the area, most of the important plants are in danger of overexploitation. However frequently used food plants are not threatened with overharvesting since they are very common in the area. Among the wild food resources bamboo shoots and mushrooms are exploited without sustainability measures. Collection of high economically valuable medicinal plants is also not sustainable as subterranean parts are harvested and collection is fatal for the plant. Sustainable harvest and management strategies should be implemented to prevent overexploitation of these species. Findings also highlight plant species which can be proper candidates for cultivation especially in agroforestry systems. There is already a good potential on the improvement of economic gains from some forest products such as mushrooms with value adding by improving drying methods and establishment of village based enterprises. Cultivation of economically important medicinal plants in herbal gardens or agroforestry systems are recommended since it can reduce pressure on natural population and at the same time diversify and secure the economic gain of villagers.
Akzeptanz und Erfolg kleinräumiger Systeme der Lebensmittelversorgung im urbanen Umfeld am Beispiel Stuttgart : empirische Untersuchungen von Verbrauchern und Unternehmen
(2012) Gebhardt, Beate
The working paper analyzes the acceptance of short-chain food supply systems by consumers and companies in Stuttgart, the provincial capital of Baden-Württemberg, based on theoretical considerations and empirical studies carried out by the Chair of Agricultural Markets and Marketing at the University of Hohenheim. The key questions of the empirical studies focus on the following points: How does the city population reflect the importance of regional foods? What are the attitudes and purchase behavior of urban consumers in regard to regional food or self production and what importance can the subjects gain in the future? Of which importance is regional food to local merchants? assortment in Stuttgart and which future developments can we derive?
Assessing alternative options to improve farming systems and to promote the adoption of low-carbon agriculture in Mato Grosso, Brazil
(2018) Carauta, Marcelo; Berger, Thomas
Currently, our society faces a significant challenge to eradicate hunger and poverty while preserving natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this context, Brazil plays an important role since it is one of the most significant players in global food production and hosts a variety of ecosystems and a significant share of the Earths biodiversity. The federal state of Mato Grosso (MT) is located at the most dynamic agricultural frontier in the Cerrado-Amazon transition zone and leads the national production of grain, fiber, and meat. The need to balance agricultural production and environmental protection shifted the focus of Brazilian land-use policy toward sustainable agriculture. The federal government pledged to reduce its GHG emissions and implemented policies to enforce it. Brazils low-carbon agricultural plan offers credit with low-interest rate to farmers who want to implement sustainable agriculture practices. These include the restoration of degraded pasture, adoption of integrated systems, no-till agriculture, biological nitrogen fixation, commercial forests, treatment of animal wastes, and climate change adaptation. The present thesis contributed to the CARBIOCIAL project (“Carbon-optimized land management strategies for southern Amazonia”), a German-Brazilian cooperation to investigate viable carbon-optimized land management strategies maintaining ecosystem services under changing climate conditions in the Southern Amazon. In this context, this thesis examines options to improve farming systems in MT and evaluates policy measures that could promote the adoption of low-carbon agricultural systems. The work is divided into three parts: The first part is subdivided into three chapters (chapters 1, 2 and 3) and offers an overview on land use change in Brazil and explores land use decisions of farmers in MT, where highly dynamic double-crop systems currently prevail. The second part is subdivided into two chapters (chapters 4 and 5) and is dedicated to evaluating alternative options to improve farming systems in MT. The third part is subdivided into three chapters (chapters 6, 7 and 8) and investigates factors that may influence farmers to adopt IAPS, evaluates policy measures to promote the adoption of low-carbon agricultural systems, and provides a detailed quantification of individual GHG emissions of a large variety of agricultural practices and the aggregate emissions resulting from their current use in MT. To this end, this thesis develops an Integrated Assessment (IA) approach that simulates farm-level decision-making and agricultural land use change. It introduces a novel approach to evaluate the full distribution of GHG emissions related to the agricultural land-use change in MT. Our IA approach integrates three software packages: MPMAS (Mathematical Programming-based Multi-Agent Systems), MONICA (Model for Nitrogen and Carbon in Agro-ecosystems) and CANDY (Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics). Data to parameterize the model was gathered from several sources, such as field experiments, statistical offices, farm level surveys from private consultancies, life-cycle inventory databases, extension services, expert interviews, and literature. This thesis presents the first extensive study on crop yield response in MT by simulating yields in response to different climatic conditions, soil types, sowing dates, crop rotation schemes, fertilization amounts, and macro-regions. The simulation results show that biophysical constraints still play a crucial role on yield gaps in MT whereas socio-economic constraints have a slight yield-increasing effect. This thesis further examines alternative ways to improve the farming systems in MT by investigating the role of sunflower adoption in increasing farm income. We have found a substantial potential for sunflower cultivation in MT with positive impacts on both farm and regional level. Additionally, we identified bottlenecks for sunflower diffusion such as the distance from farm gate to processing facility. Regarding Brazilian agricultural policy, we have found that the Brazilian low-carbon agricultural program contributed to the adoption of integrated systems. However, we observed different adoption rates through macro-regions and types of integrated systems. Furthermore, our simulations additionally show that the ABC program also contributed to the adoption of less GHG-emitting practices, but its performance is subjected to agent expectations on prices and yields
Beschreibung von 24 Nachhaltigkeitspreisen in Deutschland mit Relevanz für Unternehmen der Ernährungsbranche
(2016) Gebhardt, Beate
Sustainability awards are an exclusive instrument of sustainability communication. They are significant limited - mainly quantitative. Not everyone can get such a price. Often only a few, mostly one, wins a contest.Interest in sustainability prices grows. This interest express companies, the potential winners,and show the donors of awards, the awarding institutions. In the last yearsmore and more sustainability competitions in Germanyare founded.Meanwhile, companies in the food industry can participatein 24 competitions with 82 categories (as of 2013). It is a dynamic market of sustainability awards - with lots of potential, but also some challenges. Independence and transparency of procurement become important elements of awards’ concepts. In this report, 24 sustainability competitions and their categories are featured in factsheets. This include the relevant competitions directlyaimed at companies in the food industry or be open for those.The approach to identify them isdescribed. In addition, the evaluation scheme of transparency of sustainability competitions is explained. Key results are described.
Bio-effectors for improved growth, nutrient acquisition and disease resistance of crops
(2017) Weinmann, Markus; Neumann, Günter
Recent scientific approaches to sustain agricultural production in face of a growing world food demand, limited natural resources, and ecological concerns have been focusing on biological processes to support soil fertility and healthy plant growth. In this context, the use of “bio-effectors”, comprising living (micro-) organisms and active natural compounds, has been receiving increasing attention. In contrast to conventional fertilizers and pesticides, the effectiveness of “bio-effectors” is essentially not based on the substantial direct input of mineral plant nutrients, neither in inorganic nor organic forms, nor of a-priori toxic compounds. Their direct or indirect effects on plant performance are rather based on the functional implementation or activation of biological mechanisms, in particular those interfering with soil-plant-microbe interactions. The general objective of the present research work was to improve the empirical and conceptual understanding concerning the utilization of bio-effectors in agricultural practice, following the principles of plant growth stimulation, bio-fertilization and bio-control. One main aspect of investigation was the application of bio-effectors to improve the efficiency of phosphorus (P) acquisition by the plant. Promising bio-preparations based on microbial inoculants (e.g. Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Trichoderma species) as well as natural compounds (e.g. algae extracts, humic acids) were tested in screening assays, greenhouse, and field experiments to characterize their potential effectiveness under varying environmental conditions. The most significant effects on plants appeared under severely low phosphate availability, but even under controlled conditions, bio-effectors required a narrow range of conductive environmental settings to reveal their potential effectiveness. Another focus of research was the application of bio-effectors to control soil borne pathogens, which typically appear in unsound crop rotations. Emphasis was set on take-all disease in wheat induced by the fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis. While the effectiveness of oat precrops to control take-all in subsequent wheat has been attributed to microbial changes and enhanced manganese (Mn) availability in soils, the take-all fungus is known to decrease the availability of Mn by oxidation. Against this background, the effectiveness of oat precrops and alternative crop management strategies to improve the Mn status and suppress the severity of take-all in wheat was investigated under controlled and field conditions. In conclusion, none of the tested supplemental treatments, such the application of microbial bio-effectors, stabilized ammonium or manganese fertilizers, could fully substitute for the multiple effectiveness of oat precrops, which was further confirmed by the results of a field experiment. Finally, some general conclusions and perspectives are summarized. Selected bio-effectors showed a strong capacity to improve the nutrient acquisition and healthy growth of crop plants under controlled conditions, but not in field experiments. However, even under controlled conditions the strongest effects occurred when plants were exposed to abiotic or biotic stresses, such as severely limited P availability or pathogen infestation of the soil substrate, still restricting plant growth to unproductive levels. Facing this situation, there is no perspective to improve the field efficiency of promising bio-effectors applications as a stand-alone approach. The only chance to develop viable alternatives to the conventional use of fertilizers or pesticides, for an ecological intensification of agriculture that maintains high yield levels, seems to be a reasonable integration of bio-effectors into the whole crop management of sound agricultural practice.
Bio-effectors for improved growth, nutrient acquisition and disease resistance of crops.- 2nd unrevised edition
(2019) Weinmann, Markus; Madora GmbH, Luckestr.1, D-79539 Lörrach; Raupp, Manfred G.
Recent scientific approaches to sustain agricultural production in face of a growing world food demand, limited natural resources, and ecological concerns have been focusing on biological processes to support soil fertility and healthy plant growth. In this context, the use of “bio-effectors”, comprising living (micro-) organisms and active natural compounds, has been receiving increasing attention. In contrast to conventional fertilizers and pesticides, the effectiveness of “bio-effectors” is essentially not based on the substantial direct input of mineral plant nutrients, neither in inorganic nor organic forms, nor of a-priori toxic compounds. Their direct or indirect effects on plant performance are rather based on the functional implementation or activation of biological mechanisms, in particular those interfering with soil-plant-microbe interactions. The general objective of the present research work was to improve the empirical and conceptual understanding concerning the utilization of bio-effectors in agricultural practice, following the principles of plant growth stimulation, bio-fertilization and bio-control. One main aspect of investigation was the application of bio-effectors to improve the efficiency of phosphorus (P) acquisition by the plant. Promising bio-preparations based on microbial inoculants (e.g. Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Trichoderma species) as well as natural compounds (e.g. algae extracts, humic acids) were tested in screening assays, greenhouse, and field experiments to characterize their potential effectiveness under varying environmental conditions. The most significant effects on plants appeared under severely low phosphate availability, but even under controlled conditions, bio-effectors required a narrow range of conductive environmental settings to reveal their potential effectiveness. Another focus of research was the application of bio-effectors to control soil borne pathogens, which typically appear in unsound crop rotations. Emphasis was set on take-all disease in wheat induced by the fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis. While the effectiveness of oat precrops to control take-all in subsequent wheat has been attributed to microbial changes and enhanced manganese (Mn) availability in soils, the take-all fungus is known to decrease the availability of Mn by oxidation. Against this background, the effectiveness of oat precrops and alternative crop management strategies to improve the Mn status and suppress the severity of take-all in wheat was investigated under controlled and field conditions. In conclusion, none of the tested supplemental treatments, such the application of microbial bio-effectors, stabilized ammonium or manganese fertilizers, could fully substitute for the multiple effectiveness of oat precrops, which was further confirmed by the results of a field experiment. Finally, some general conclusions and perspectives are summarized. Selected bio-effectors showed a strong capacity to improve the nutrient acquisition and healthy growth of crop plants under controlled conditions, but not in field experiments. However, even under controlled conditions the strongest effects occurred when plants were exposed to abiotic or biotic stresses, such as severely limited P availability or pathogen infestation of the soil substrate, still restricting plant growth to unproductive levels. Facing this situation, there is no perspective to improve the field efficiency of promising bio-effectors applications as a stand-alone approach. The only chance to develop viable alternatives to the conventional use of fertilizers or pesticides, for an ecological intensification of agriculture that maintains high yield levels, seems to be a reasonable integration of bio-effectors into the whole crop management of sound agricultural practice.
Biomass production for bioenergy as an interface between yield optimisation, ecology and human nutrition : a question of resource efficiency
(2012) Gauder, Martin; Claupein, Wilhelm
In this thesis, specific questions dealing with sustainability of bioenergy were analysed on regional scales. One focus was put on food security and the connections to bioenergy production. Therefore a study, based on the comprehensive range of information available, was conducted for ethanol production in Brazil. The second focus laid on Europe and the potentials and environmental risks which come along with bioenergy production. A study on interannual yield performance of long-term Miscanthus plantations was conducted to evaluate potentials and genotype diversities of Miscanthus cropping in Southwest Germany. To identify the possible contribution of by-products from agriculture, a third study dealt with amount and distribution of surplus straw in Southwest Germany. Environmental aspects were addressed in a field trial, which monitored trace gas fluxes from soils under different energy plants also in Southwest Germany. The last study examined the potential of establishing large-scale poplar plantations in Romania and how this could contribute to the regional energy security.
Classification and characterization of Ethiopian honey bees (Apis mellifera) based on morphometric, genetic and socio-economic analyses
(2022) Hailu, Teweldemedhn Gebretinsae; Hasselmann, Martin
Ethiopia is a major beekeeping country located in northeast Africa where several evolutionary lineages of Apis mellifera contact. A unique practice of honey bee colony marketing which involves broad agro-ecological zones (AEZs) is a developing trend in the northern part of the country such as Tigray region in association with apicultural development. Several studies based on classical morphometry on the Ethiopian honey bee subspecies classification debated from the unique Apis mellifera simensis to five others. Moreover, the genetic diversity, adaptation, gene flow and inter-relationships of the honey bees between AEZs were not disentangled – a challenge for planning sustainable apicultural development and conservation. Therefore, this study was conducted to elucidate the honey bees of Ethiopia in a context of apicultural transformation using integrated methods: morphometrics, genetics, colony market survey and metadata analyses on beekeeping development. The results of geometric morphometric analyses confirmed that Ethiopian honey bees represented by Apis mellifera simensis references belong to a separate lineage (Y) compared to A, O, M and C, and the present sample belonged to Y. This supported the hypothesis of five major honey bee lineages of the honey bee Apis mellifera. Similarly, a maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree analysis based on the mitochondrial COI-COII showed that most of the Ethiopian honey bees belong to lineage Y. However, a substantial proportion of the samples from the northern part of the country clustered with lineage O, which support the hypothesis that there is close contact between Y and O. Both geometric morphometry and classical morphometry differentiated the Ethiopian honey bees from all references including A. m. monticola, A. m. scutellata, A. m. jementica, A. m. adansonii but grouped with A. m. simensis. Genetically, five DraI haplotypes (COI-COII) were found to be randomly distributed across AEZs, indicating a substantial gene flow. Consequently, the level of genetic differentiation among the Ethiopian honey bee subpopulations defined by local areas and AEZs was generally low based on r7-frag nuclear marker, which is identified to be associated with adaptation to habitat elevation in East African honey bees. Similarly, nucleotide diversity consistently decreased with increasing elevation – indicating a reduced effective population size in the highlands. Results obtained from colony market survey showed that the honey bee swarms are reproduced in a few highlands and re-distributed throughout the region. Colony buyers have preferences of color and AEZ of origin of the honey bees, which led to a one-way flow and eroded the overall level of genetic differentiation. However, a marked differentiation was detected between the highland and lowland honey bees in relic communities where an allelic length polymorphism was observed as a signature of local adaptation. Altogether, Ethiopian honey bees belong to the lineage Y and subspecies A. m. simensis, and are characterized by a high level of gene flow enhanced by colony marketing; but a conserved signature of local adaptation to higher elevations was identified in less disturbed communities. Further studies based on genome-wide analyses and field experiments, focusing on undisturbed communities, can provide more insights into adaptation, admixture and management implications. Sustainable bee breeding and extension services that enable local beekeeping without colony trade and transportation will help to promote apiculture and genetic conservation.
Economic analysis on the agro-environmental impacts of management and policy measures in the North China Plain
(2011) Kühl, Yannick; Zeddies, Jürgen
The increased use of agricultural inputs like fertilizers and pesticides led to wide-spread negative environmental impacts of agriculture in the North China Plain (NCP). The context of this research is that, due to continued growth of the population and the economy, the demand for agricultural products in China is gradually rising. However resources like land and water are scarce in China. Therefore new strategies need to be developed which do not put additional strains on the environment but meet the expected demand. The NCP is regarded as China?s most important agricultural region. This work aims at describing and discussing the environmental effects of agriculture in the NCP. The extent of these environmental impacts is presented. An essential part of this work is the in-depth description and analysis of the current cropping systems and farming practices, which is based on the findings a household survey. The central hypothesis of this work is that a change of the management systems is able to meet the production goals, to achieve a higher input-output efficiency and to reduce negative environmental impacts. Embedded in the objectives of this work, the main goals are the description of current agricultural practices and related negative environmental impacts, the definition of agro-environmental management and policy measures, impact analysis of management and policy measures and the development of suggestions for further research. The second chapter aims at introducing the background of this research, i.e. the environmental impacts of agriculture. Hereby the focus lies on the introduction of relevant and characteristic farming practices and on the related institutional setting. Then the processes of data acquisition and data handling for this work are described. The descriptive analysis presents the findings from a survey in July 2008; it aims at describing the characteristics of the surveyed farm households. Chapter 5 describes the methodologies which are applied for the analysis in this work. The first part describes the methodology of Linear Programming and its selection process. The second part explains the selection process for the integrated households. The last part describes the processes of environmental assessment by means of selected indicators. In chapter 6 the model is applied to simulate and analyze the selected households in changing scenarios. Each Scenario is described individually. Then the simulation results are presented and discussed. In chapter 7 possible strategies to reduce environmental impacts of farming in the NCP ? considering the objectives of this work: sustainability and food security ? are discussed. The discussion focuses on the two main problems in the research area: fertilization and water. The analysis showed that current farming practices in the research area are not sustainable and can, thus, threaten future food security in China. The dilemma of the research area is that intensive agricultural production cannot be reduced because high yields are needed to feed the growing demand from a (economically) growing population. Simultaneously high resource consumption and pollution from farming cannot continue as that could eventually result in irreversible damage to agriculture in the NCP and also threatens livelihoods. Finally strategic policy recommendations, characteristics of improved management practices and recommendations for further research are presented. These recommendations can play an important role in decision guiding for policy makers. After reviewing other studies in the NCP, it has to be concluded that this work represents one of the most comprehensive analysis of the agricultural practices in the Hebei province. It was demonstrated that management practices for maize and wheat exist which can result in higher input-output efficiency and which are economically more profitable ? especially production options which include intercropping of other crops or demand-driven fertilization and irrigation. The hypothesis was tested to be valid. The simulation of optimization options showed that economically more profitable production options exist. These optimized production options are characterized by a more efficient factor input (mainly water and fertilization) and resulting decreased environmental impacts. The policy of a premium for reduced water use resulted in the highest simulated increases of total contribution margins with simultaneously reduced negative environmental impacts. However the simulation also revealed that, in order to ensure food security, incentives for producing wheat should be provided as it is the economically least profitable main crop, but it has important functions for own consumption. The simulation also revealed that policies aimed at increasing output prices of the main crops (in combination with optimized production options) can result in total higher contribution margins and decreased negative environmental impacts and higher resource use efficiency. It should be noted that the optimum results did not integrate production options which the surveyed farmers are currently applying ? this indicates that current practices are not efficient. Many studies state that knowledge transfer systems and extension services in the NCP are deficient. The survey showed that the majority of the households did not have contact with the extension services, and, moreover, most of the households never received agricultural training. A knowledge transfer program can be an efficient tool to reduce environmental impacts of farming in the NCP. In addition specific recommendations and systems under considerations of socio-economic approaches have to be developed to improve knowledge transfer and services to farmers in the NCP. Appropriate decision support systems for efficient land use in the research area have to be developed. This study showed that laws and regulations regarding environmental impacts exist, but they are not reliably enforced. Many studies state that the current institutional framework for water management is inadequate and that it, thus, represents one of the causes for the overexploitation of water resources. Therefore the responsibilities should be clearly defined in order to be able to create incentives for saving water and to increase efficiencies. Furthermore, farmers? water rights are not secure and transparent. Therefore plans, based on scientific estimations for water supply and demand, are needed to clearly define and enforce water use rights. Besides clearly defined and enforced water use rights, also longer, enforced and secure land-use rights might facilitate the adoption of sustainable farming practices. Also the institutional set-up complicates the implementation of policies. Therefore institutional change with coordinated efforts is needed. Decentralized and regionalized administrations might increase the effectiveness of policies. In addition the institutional framework has to be updated to the specific requirements in the NCP. One of the main reasons for problems related to water management is that it represents a mostly unregulated resource in the NCP. The survey showed that fertilizer use is strongly varying, overuse and undersupply occur in the research area. The strongly varying and inadequate fertilizer applications endanger the sustainability of the agricultural systems in the NCP. Furthermore the organic matter contents in the soils are too low. The survey also revealed that the farmers in the research area are not informed about the quality of their soils. Integrated into knowledge transfer programs, providing opportunities for soil analysis to the local farmers could result in fertilization practices which are based on the nutrient contents of the soil and, thus, are more efficient. Structural development projects in the Chinese rural areas need to be continued, especially in the research are, to avoid a rural exodus. The living conditions in the rural areas ? in terms of income, education and health services ? are still not comparable with the conditions in urban areas. Chinese policy has to focus on stopping the further decline of the ground water tables. Furthermore a conscious water use and environmental awareness for all stakeholders has to be created in order to avoid that pollution or resource scarcity and misuse will further reduce agricultural production in the NCP. The social costs of further decreased agricultural production in the NCP would be unbearable.
Ecosystemic Effect Indicators to assess Effects of agricultural Landuse on Ecosystems
(2000) Merkle, Andrea Hildegard; Kaupenjohann, Martin
Agricultural production and its material and non-material emissions may cause side-effects in ecosystems. These effects have to be assessed and evaluated. The aim of the present study is to provide a tool that relates emissions of agricultural production and affected ecosystems. This tool represents an indicator approach. The needed indicators are defined as ecosystemic effect indicators (EEI). Within the study a multistage procedure is developed which should be pursued in identifying indicators. To assess which emissions must be regarded in detail an estimation of relevance by means of an emission and input classification preceeds the indicator development. Subsequently, EEI are developed for the relevant emissions and inputs. The derivation of EEI is carried out by the following steps: 1) One starts top-down at the target 'maintaining the ecosystem functioning' in this work depicted by the utility functions. A list with characteristics that are dependent on hierarchical levels is compiled for each relevant function. 2) Starting at one specific input a list of potential receptors is compiled bottom-up. These represent potential effect indicators. 3) By overlapping the lists of the steps 1 and 2 one yields EEI specific for the utility function and the input under consideration. The step 3 is performed by means of expert knowledge. The advantage of the indicator approach is its operativeness which is site-independent. The results of the study show that EEI may be deemed to be promising tools to picture human influences in particular of agricultural production on ecosystems. The results of the case study provide the basis to assess effects on ecosystems for some major stressors. In cases where critical values are available site specific quantitative statements concerning ecological effects within the frame of sustainable agriculture are enabled by the present method for the derivation of indicators. Subsequently, necessary measures can be deduced
Effects of agricultural commercialization on land use and pest management of smallholder upland farms in Thailand
(2016) Grovermann, Suthathip; Berger, Thomas
Over recent years, economic development, policy changes, new technologies and population growth have been motivating farmers in Thailand to intensify and commercialize their production activities. As part of this agricultural commercialization and intensification process, Thai upland farmers have adapted their farming practices to increase crop production and productivity levels. This thesis clearly demonstrates that there is a positive relationship between land use intensification/commercialization and the use of chemical-based pest management activities, i.e. farmers have increasingly relied on the use of chemicals for the protection of their crops. As part of the agricultural intensification and commercialization process, concerns about the potentially negative impact of pesticide use is often downplayed, while the benefits of pesticide use in terms of improved crop returns ignore the indirect costs they also incur. This has also led to a situation in which local farmers do not always use pesticides in an appropriate way; they tend to overuse and misuse the chemicals, to avoid losses among their high-value crops. Due to farmers’ limited awareness of and lack of protection against the potential dangers inherent in chemical pesticide use, they still use pesticides which contain cheap compounds such as the herbicides Paraquat and Glyphosate. The application of these chemicals is restricted in a number of other countries, but these represent two of the three most commonly used pesticides in the study area. The survey described here sought to provide evidence that agricultural commercialization in Thailand over recent years has led to a reduction in the variety of pest management practices applied, and that many Thai farmers have become completely dependent on the use of agrochemicals, expecting that this approach will fully prevent any losses in crop yields. In this context, it can be observed that farmers have become locked into using chemical pest control methods, creating a situation in which attempting to control one risk through the increasingly heavy and exclusive use of pesticides, has led to a number of other, new risks developing. This research also reveals that market prices, pests and diseases have become the dominant risks affecting farm performance within the Thai commercial farm sector, while among Thai subsistence farmers the loss of family labor is of key concern. The farmers in the study area have a variety of attitudes towards risk, and differences in expected rates of return influence the types of risk protection tools used. The findings show that agricultural commercialization is associated with a rapid adoption of synthetic pesticides and an exponential growth in the quantity of pesticides applied per hectare. As the risk management strategies used by commercial farmers are mostly aimed at crop protection, they use large quantities of synthetic pesticides to manage crop pests and diseases. The present research also finds that the effectiveness of pesticide use increases significantly as levels of commercialization increase. Pesticide use is perceived as increasingly useful in this process, being considered an essential factor for raising agricultural output and farm income. However, there is a need to pay more attention to the potentially adverse effects of pesticide use on human health and the environment and to improve producers’ level of understanding of the risks involved in pesticide use, which will help them make better decisions regarding the risks and consequences involved. A number of studies have suggested that pesticide regulations in Thailand should be better enforced, that consumer demand for certified products should be encouraged, and that training on food safety should be offered to farmers. The Thai government has reacted to these calls by introducing policies and projects aimed at the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices; however, these policies have not been promoted effectively, and so have not fixed the core problem. The Q-GAP program is a good example of this. This thesis reveals that Thai upland farmers still do not understand the logic behind the program introduced, and so lack any motivation to follow sustainable farming practices. This situation is made worse by the lack of any effective program implementation and follow-up activities, such as farm auditing. The Q-GAP program has been implemented with a strong focus on farm auditing and residue testing, and little focus on the positive consequences of a reduction in pesticide use levels. The program also does not provide farmers with suitable alternatives to manage their pest problems. Certified farmers continue to almost entirely depend on synthetic pest control. In principle, under the program farmers are encouraged to practice integrated pest management (IPM) methods in order to achieve Q-GAP certification. But it was found that a considerable number of farmers were not familiar with the term IPM and have a limited understanding of the approach. IPM offers alternative pest management methods to farmers and also takes into account traditional pest control methods, not just the use of pesticides. Therefore it could have a positive role to play in helping to reduce pesticide use. However, in reality, the promotion of integrated pest management methods is not enough in isolation. As this thesis shows by means of an ex-ante assessment of pesticide use reduction strategies with the MPMAS simulation package, the use of a combination of measures, such as the promotion of IPM through financial adoption incentives combined with the introduction of a sizeable sales tax on pesticides, could lead to a very substantial reduction in pesticide use – by up to 34% on current levels, without adversely effecting general farm income levels. Thus, policymakers should promote alternative pesticide use reduction strategies by combining pesticide taxation with the introduction of integrated pest management methods, the application of a price premium on safe agricultural produce or the introduction of subsidies for bio-pesticides. Furthermore, there is a need to raise farmers awareness about pesticide risks and to increase investment in the diffusion of integrated pest management practices. Thai upland farmers might be willing to introduce more sustainable agricultural methods if they were to fully understand the consequences of pesticide use on their health and the environment, as well as know more about the biology, behaviors and physiology of the pests themselves. Building knowledge is critical in this regard. To achieve this, there needs to be more interaction between researchers, extension workers and farmers, plus more policy options introduced to support farmers in their transition to a more market-oriented production environment.
Environmental and economic assessment of the intensive wheat - maize production system in the North China Plain
(2016) Ha, Nan; Bahrs, Enno
To ensure food security for its vast population input intensification in crop production has been one of China’s major strategies in the last decades. However, the negative environmental impact of the highly intensive crop production becomes apparent. Especially the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) constitutes a major sustainability issue of crop production in China. The winter wheat - summer maize (WW-SM) double cropping system plays a crucial role for China’s national food security. Strong research efforts mainly focusing on field experiments insufficiently consider the economic viability of the proposed improvement strategies and farmers’actual crop management. Therefore this study aims to fill this void by assessing farmers’actual crop management in the WW-SM production system, with regard to its environmental and economic performance to derive suitable improvement strategies for more sustainable crop production in the North China Plain (NCP). This cumulative PhD thesis consists of three papers published or accepted with revisions in international peer-reviewed journals. A field survey conducted in 2011 interviewing 65 WW-SM producing farm households constitutes the core data base for the thesis’analysis. The data was supplemented by expert interviews and specific secondary data. Partial life cycle analysis and economic assessment were conducted, comprising GHG emission, product carbon footprint (PCF), gross margin (GM), variable cost per unit product and life cycle costing (LCC) as key environmental and economic indicators, respectively. The first article describes the status quo of single farm environmental and economic performance of 65 WW-SM producers. The results revealed a huge heterogeneity among farms. Astonishingly no trade-off between productivity and sustainability could be identified in the region. Building on cluster analysis, with farms grouped according to their economic and environmental performance into “poor”, “fair” and “good” producers, the regional GHG mitigation potential was estimated. Under the scenario assumption that all grain in the NCP is produced under “good” production conditions, 21% and 7% of GHG could be mitigated in wheat and maize production, respectively. To be able to address the existing heterogeneity and develop strategies towards attaining GHG mitigation in practice, the second article aimed at assessing the factors determining farmers’ current environmental and economic performance. Using stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) it was revealed that nitrogen (N) input and electricity for irrigation were responsible for 0.787 and 0.802 of variability (adjusted R2) in the GHG emission results of the WW and SM production, respectively. Electricity for irrigation and labor were the most significant factors explaining the differences in LCC of WW and SM production, with an adjusted coefficient of determination (adjusted R2) of 0.397 and 0.29. This finding indicates that N input, electricity for irrigation and labor are key target areas for lowering GHG emissions and production costs of the WW-SM production system in the NCP. As revealed in the second article overuse of N fertilizer, which actually constitutes a major current issue in China, offers great potential for reducing GHG emissions and production costs in the WW-SM production system. Therefore in the third article three simple and easily to apply N fertilizer recommendation strategies are tested, which could be implemented on large scale through the existing agricultural advisory system of China, at comparatively low cost. Building on the household dataset, the effects of the three N strategies under constant and changing yield levels on PCF and GM were determined for every individual farm household. The N fixed rate strategy realized the highest improvement potential in PCF and GM in WW; while the N coefficient strategy performed best in SM. The analysis furthermore revealed that improved N management has a significant positive effect on PCF, but only a marginal and insignificant effect on GM. On the other side, a potential 10 % yield loss would have only a marginal effect on PCF, but a detrimental effect on farmers’income. It will be of vital importance to avoid any yield reductions and respective severe financial losses, when promoting and implementing advanced fertilization strategies. Therefore, it is furthermore recommended to increase the price of fertilizer, improve the agricultural extensions system, and recognize farmers’ fertilizer related decision-making processes as key research areas. The presented thesis gives valuable contributions to the development of environmentally and economically more sustainable crop production systems in the NCP. The thesis concludes that an adjustment in the agricultural advisory system is required, supported by more interdisciplinary research, which is able to address the inherent complexity of realizing more sustainable crop production in China.
Functional larval-parasitoid biodiversity in apple orchards as benchmark for management intensity and potential instrument for ecological amelioration of Iranian apple production
(2019) Lashkari-Bod, Abdullah; Zebitz, Claus P. W.
Although a consensus through the concept of sustainable agricultural production and its indicators to assess its functionality varies, it is expected to be long-term and reliable. The sustainability would change temporarily and spatially. It is influenced by political, social and economical is-sues, which reveals its interdisciplinary essence in concert with farming strategies and practices to produce human food. The management of plant protection is capable to impose unsustainability into farming system. The frequency and intensity of unsustainable practices would result into devastating effects on diversity and abundance of beneficial arthropods. The communities of natural enemy may promote sustainable management, but the anthropogenic interventions such as broad-spectrum pesticide applications would distort the essence of self-monitoring of natural invertebrates as regulators. The conventional agricultural management makes the habitats to be simplified through food webs and ecological complexities, which lead to species loss (extinction or emigration) and consequently to species interactions (connectance). The ecologically based management such as integrated pest management (IPM) would focus to maintain species and increase diversity in natural communities, which contributes to sustainable approach as alternative versus conventional agriculture. The negative effects of chemical pesticides would dramatically decline the ecosystem process and affect the energy flow among different trophic levels, which is manifested as functional rates in local or regional scale of ecosystem. The human-manipulated areas create negative consequences on the ecosystem functionality through vanishing the key natural resources (i.e. shelter, food provision, and alternative host prey), which affect maintaining natural enemy communities. The complementarity effects of antagonist communities can lead a synergetic impact on pest control, when biodiversity is conserved through vegetation, rational bio-pesticide application, and ecological infrastructure, the functional traits (richness and evenness) among interacting species will be improved. Furthermore, the intensified agriculture would arise pest outbreaks or convert a secondary and unimportant pest into a serious one. The antagonistic communities may represent as bio-indicators. The presence or absence of higher trophic levels and their complexes would reflect biotic or abiotic changes in the environment, which would eventually be expressed as parasitism or consumption rate. The scope of current research is limited to indicators of sustainability through pest management and does not comply a holistic approach on ecological, political, social, and economical managements. The preliminary results focus on the status quo of plant protection in Iran and biodiversity indices in Germany used to compare the different farm systems to show how the management can affect the community components and their interactions. The environmental and anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity of beneficial arthropods in different orchard management conducted in Germany, where the accessibility of abandoned apple orchards is more prevalent than Iran. To evaluate the impact of conventional intensive management vs. ecologically based sustainable practices on invertebrate beneficial community, a comparative study was conducted to assess food web pattern of larval-parasitoid communities, biodiversity indices, and parasitism rate in response to apple orchard by four different managements. Field samplings were occurred during 2011-2015 in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The orchard managements were distinguished based on the frequency and intensity of pesticide applications into the farming system. The categories of orchard management were managed (organic and integrated), and Streuobst (semi-abandoned orchard), which were situated in Denzlingen, Emmendingen, Goldener Grund, Hohenheim research center, Ilsfeld, Lake Constance, Neuhausen, Plieningen, Rommelshausen, and Scharnhausen. The sampling was conducted by installation of corrugated cardboard and random observation to collect larval caterpillars (Tortricidae and Gelechiidae). The collected samples were transferred to lab to rear adult parasitoids and further studies on taxonomic affiliation. Out of 7,923 healthy host larvae collected, totally 324 parasitoid individuals from three sub-families of Braconidae, Ichneumonidae, and Perilampidae were found. Four parasitoid species were found positive host-density dependent, the rest of the parasitoid species showed no densi-ty-dependency or were found in too small numbers. The highest richness, abundance, and evenness of larval-parasitoids were found in Streuobst orchards (i.g. Plieningen), which received no to minimal pesticide inputs. The interaction diversity of food webs (connectance) in Streuobst showed the highest number of trophic links in response to other orchard managements where the commercial (conventional) orchards harbor no to the least biodiversity indices of beneficial arthropods. Percentage similarity also assessed to depict the similarity of larval-parasitoid community structures in different managements. It was revealed the orchards with the same management contain similar parasitoid compositions. To describe and analyze the information on apple growing management, circumstances of plant protection, pest status, and major obstacles to initialize sustainable production in Iran, a questionnaire was designed to survey 39 apple growers from East-Azerbaijan, Fars, Isfahan, Tehran, and W. Azerbaijan in July 2014. It was found that management of the orchards mostly is under the supervision of the apple growers. Farmers in Isfahan suffer a road infrastructure to have an access to the nearest market to sell their product indicating an economic monopoly. The distance to experts affects the intensity of pesticide application by farmers. The conventional agriculture is prevailing in all provinces and access to bio-pesticides highly limited to Tehran. Totally 29 pesticides were used against different fruit pests in Iran. The most damage intensities occurred by pests in province scale and weeds in regional scale. The outbreak of secondary pest Tetranychus urticae as key one indicates human perturbations in Iran’s farming system. Tehran province enjoyed diverse apple cultivars contrary to other provinces, which are poor in diversification. The predominant outlook to choose a cultivar among apple growers was marketing.
Gesamtbetriebliche Nachhaltigkeitsanalyse von Grünlandsystemen in der Milchviehhaltung in benachteiligten Regionen Südwestdeutschlands
(2020) Dentler, Juliane; Elsäßer, Martin
Agriculture is facing major global and regional challenges. The reduction of greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions, the lowering of nutrient discharges, serious losses of biodiversity and food security require urgent action, to determine sustainable structures for the production of agricultural products in general and animal products in particular and to develop solution strategies for the efficient use of resources. A central element of sustainable development is the equal consideration of the three pillars of sustainability - ecology, economy and social aspects. Against this background, the research project A sustainability comparison of grassland-based feeding systems for milk production in disadvantaged regions of south-west Germany was conceived. The aim of the research study was a system comparison at farm level, which not only shows the ecological potential but also the economic and social factors involved in order to improve the understanding of the sustainability of agricultural farm systems and thus contribute to an optimised use of regional resources. For this purpose, grassland-based, concentrate feed-reduced systems of milk production in disadvantaged regions and successful milk systems of year-round barn management with high individual animal performance in favoured areas of southwest Germany were compared. In addition, the potential of using the regional dual-purpose breed Vorderwald for grassland-based, concentrate feed-reduced milk systems was examined. In the present study, the economically most successful farms of the grassland-based sample displayed a high economic efficiency in the calculated management income compared to conventional dairy farms. Nevertheless, it became clear, that economically sustainable milk production is not given at all locations. In principle, organic dairy farms in grassland regions can profit economically from high prices for organic milk together with subsidies from agri-environmental measures combined with a high use of pasture grass and low external costs (concentrated feed, external labour). This was also evident with regard to the social parameters, especially in the areas of stress, leisure time and appreciation by the population and by colleagues, a high degree of social sustainability was demonstrated. With regard to the efficiency parameters, the farms of the grassland-based sample performed significantly better than the intensive dairy farms, especially with regard to the net food conversion efficiency, with an average of 295 % related to gross energy, and the nutrient efficiency, with a 10 % higher use efficiency of nitrogen and a 55 % higher use efficiency of phosphorus. The latter were characterised by an average nitrogen surplus of 150 kg per ha. By taking into account the CO2-storage in conjunction with the integration of ecosystem services in the allocation of emissions, it was also possible to demonstrate a lower carbon footprint for grassland-based milk production in disadvantaged regions of southwest Germany. Furthermore, it could be shown that the same feeding system cannot be applied equally beneficially for all breeds and that Vorderwald cattle are better adapted to a system with full pasture, low concentrated feed input and seasonal calving compared to Holstein cattle. Complex agricultural processes ultimately mean that, depending on production methods and consumption, almost identical products have very different effects on the environment, climate, income, social aspects and health. The present study shows that milk production with a high proportion of permanent grassland, adapted animal genetics and a very low dependence on external production factors such as energy- and protein-rich fodder as well as chemical synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, has significant advantages over milk production in intensive systems and can be regarded as eco-nomically, ecologically and socially sustainable. A consistent implementation of this strategy towards systems in which smaller, more robust animals of a dual-purpose breed produce milk and meat almost exclusively on the basis of their natural feed base with a high efficiency per hectare could therefore indicate a direction towards more sustainable milk production, livestock farming and agriculture in general. In this context, organic farming is seen as particularly resource-saving and environmentally compatible and is discussed as a concept to improve sustainability in agriculture. For sustainable development and defusing conflicts of objectives, however, an overall perspective must be adopted; looking at individual aspects of production is not sufficient. In addition to adjustments in agriculture, far-reaching changes in consumer behaviour and food waste are necessary. This will require considerable political will and cooperation at farm and society level
Impact of rubber tree dominated land-use on biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Greater Mekong Subregion
(2017) Häuser, Inga; Sauerborn, Joachim
The present dissertation analyzes the impact of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) dominated land-use on biodiversity and ecosystem services (ESS) in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Although originating from South-America natural rubber is mainly cultivated in South-East Asia. This expansion of rubber plantations affects different ESS such as carbon storage, availability and quality of water and threatens biodiversity in this highly biodiverse region. In order to analyze these impacts the first task was to give a comprehensive overview about publications concerning ESS and biodiversity in rubber cultivation systems. A thorough literature review showed that the majority of publications concentrated on single or few ESS, which does not match the demands of decision-makers. In order to make sound decisions for land-use planning or developing Payments for Ecosystem Services Schemes a holistic view including multiple services. In order to fill this knowledge gap, the second task was to analyze the impacts of rubber on the ESS carbon storage, soil erosion, water availability and water quality and economically and socially related ESS, such as income and livelihood security. Although there are still great uncertainties about carbon storage in different land-use systems there are hints that the carbon storage in rubber plantations is lower than in natural forests. Concerning erodibility, rubber plantations increase the soil erosion risk compared to natural forests. Rubber cultivation also affects the local and regional water balance. Since rubber production in monocultures requires the use of huge amounts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers which enter the aquatic system by rainfall-induced run-off, water quality for humans and aquatic organisms is as well threatened. Undoubtedly, from an economic point of view the introduction of rubber resulted in significant increases in household income and is hence a possibility to move households and communities out of poverty. However, by deciding to grow rubber, farmers are committing themselves for decades to come and are thus dependent on a single product, which exposes them to further risks. In addition, there are ecological hazards due to crop diseases, pests, unfavorable weather conditions or changes in climate. The review of studies clearly indicates that increasing rubber cultivation in the GMS is accompanied by various problems and threats to farmers and the environment. Therefore, the development of more sustainable land-use concepts is required. Concordantly, suggestions for land-use change are based on system diversification and forest restoration, which both require economic incentives for farmers. The next part of this dissertation deals with the development of a biodiversity indicator (based on selected flora and fauna species) that can be included in existing biodiversity models to show the impact that different rubber cultivation scenarios will have on various species groups. A combination of multi-species data supplemented with literature data was used and included flora, vertebrates and invertebrates. The resulting indicator was used as input into an established ESS assessment framework. Finally, a current land-use map from 2007 was compared with two scenarios. In order to get a more detailed picture, sub-groups of biodiversity were analyzed as well. First, a sub-group of “human use species” category was assessed which included only species which are directly used by humans. Second, the sub-group “red list species”, consisting of red list plants and mammals was analyzed separately to include the conservational aspect. The results showed that when considering the indices from the category “human use species” there is less of an impact between the scenarios, because medicinal plants for example are still commonly distributed within rubber plantations, albeit with different species (generalists, ruderal flora). This leads to an important conclusion: not only the decision on “what” is analyzed (biodiversity), but also “how” it is analyzed (groups of different species) considerably influences the results. To complete this dissertation the transferability of this place-based research to other regions of the world was tested to assess the relevance beyond the study area. To do this the system of land archetypes was used, which utilizes a wide range of land-use intensity metrics and incorporates simultaneously environmental and socio-economic conditions. In a first step, the ‘project archetype’ was defined, based on a synthesis of global land system indicators. For the project Sustainable Rubber Cultivation in the Mekong Region, only few of the 32 global indicators did not closely match the local reality. The transferability potential for the GMS was quite high and therefore emphasizes the importance of the project results for this huge region.
Kooperation als Strategie technologischen Paradigmenwechsels : eine nachhaltigkeitsbasierte Untersuchung der Elektrifizierung des Automobils
(2014) Knappe, Mathias; Pyka, Andreas
Beschleunigung und Reorientierung des technischen Fortschritts überfordern selbst große Unternehmen im Spannungsfeld zwischen Spezialisierung und interdisziplinärer Konvergenz. So wird die Kombination interner Forschung und Entwicklung mit externem Wissen, vor allem in Hochtechnologien, zur zentralen Voraussetzung langfristigen Unternehmenserfolgs. In diesem Kontext untersucht die vorliegende Dissertation das Potenzial kooperativen Verhaltens zwischen Unternehmen zur Bewältigung technologischer Diskontinuitäten am Beispiel des bevorstehenden Paradigmenwechsels im automobilen Antrieb. Dabei wird Kooperation als superiore Strategie zur Stimulation des explorativen Innovationsmodus identifiziert und in eine übergreifende Dynamik der Koordinationseignung im Verlauf technologischen Fortschritts integriert. Bezogen auf den automobilen Antrieb ist eine nachhaltigkeitsinduzierte Destabilisierung des technologischen Paradigmas des Verbrennungsmotors festzustellen, während sich seine intensiven Möglichkeiten erschöpfen. Konsequenz dessen ist zunehmender Innovationsdruck, der konsistenzorientiert eine systemische Transformation von Kraftwerkstechnik und Energienetz sowie einen Paradigmenwechsel zu elektrischen Antrieben erzwingt. Aufgrund der bisher geringen technologischen Reife und hohen Kosten elektrischer Antriebssysteme zeichnet sich allerdings ein Übergang in Form einer graduellen Rekonfiguration über eine Hybridphase ab, deren Dynamik maßgeblich von der Entwicklung der techno-ökonomischen Schlüsselmodule Batterie und Brennstoffzelle abhängt. Die dazu erforderliche technologische Transformation birgt existenzielle Gefährdungen für die etablierten Unter-nehmen der Automobilindustrie, die sich gegenüber ihren Herausforderern explorationsbezogen in einer inferioren Ausgangssituation befinden. Eben hier bieten sich umfangreiche Potenziale kooperativer Exploration elektrischer Antriebe auf Verhaltens-, Innovationsprozess- und Wissensebene. In Relation zu diesen erscheint das reale Kooperationsniveau jedoch als gering, volatil und, vor allem in Deutschland, übermäßig intrasektoral fokussiert. Aus diesen Erkenntnissen ergeben sich Implikationen für Unternehmensführung, Innovati-onspolitik und Forschung. Managementseitig besteht die zentrale Herausforderung in der Befähigung der Organisation zur Dynamisierung von Wissen und Fähigkeiten durch simultan-heterogene Koordination explorativer und exploitativer Innovationsströme. Insbesondere die Erschließung kooperativer Potenziale setzt allerdings die Bereitschaft zur Einschränkung der eigenen Unabhängigkeit sowie zur Abweichung von bewährten Verhaltensmustern voraus. Innovationspolitisch steht die Überwindung von Beharrungskräften durch Anpassung des sozio-institutionellen Rahmens sowie die Förderung langfristiger Kooperation bei potenzialgeleiteter Intersektoralität im Vordergrund. Forschungsbezogen eröffnet speziell die Kombination von Innovations-, Nachhaltigkeits- und Koordinationstheorie ein besseres Verständnis von Triebfedern und Dynamik technischen Fortschritts, das weiter vertieft werden sollte.
Die Kraft von Awards : Umfrage unter Unternehmen und Vergabeinstitutionen in Deutschland 2023
(2023) Gebhardt, Beate; Hellstern, Laura
From an academic perspective, research on the effects of sustainability awards and their potential to contribute to sustainability transformation represents a niche. Against the backdrop of an increasing number of awards targeting companies and multiple crises "disrupting" companies in different ways and new EU regulations, such as on evidence-based corporate communication on environmental aspects, the question of the power of awards needs to be re-examined and answers are more important than ever. In a double study within the framework of the SIEGER project funded by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU), awarding institutions and companies throughout Germany were surveyed online in spring 2023. The objective was to discover first the effects of sustainability awards from the point of view of award-giving institutions, the donators, and companies, the award-recipients, and second the contribution they can make to a sustainability transformation. Sustainability awards are mostly attributed positive to very positive effects, both on the micro level (employee motivation), but especially on the meso level (image gain; awareness), less so on the macro level (ecological aspects; social aspects). The evaluation of the power of awards, their direction of impact and strength, in this study is perceived and is shaped by the different framing of the respondents. Award donors and winners overestimate the perception of awards by third parties as well as the external learning effects (imitation effects). The thematic focus on sustainability leads awarding institutions to overstate the intended ecological effects of an award. The majority of respondents believe that awards can contribute to sustainability transformation. Compared to other awards, sustainability awards are seen as having more power and making a more positive contribution to sustainability transformation. The analysis also shows that awards are a mirror of current political and social demands and developments. Beyond the ecological claim "sustainability award", awards integrate socio-ecological aspects in their requirements for the entrepreneurial participants of the competition. The further development of sustainability awards can therefore be achieved through internal development on the part of the awarding institutions and supported by external measures.
Land use change, agricultural intensification and low-carbon agricultural practices in Mato Grosso, Brazil
(2016) Dias Bernardes Gil, Juliana; Berger, Thomas
The process of land use change in Brazil has implications for food security, climate change and socioeconomic development at the local, regional and global levels. Largely driven by agricultural expansion over the past decades, such processes are likely to become even more pronounced in the coming years as Brazil is expected to satisfy a significant share of the global demand for food and energy. In an effort to prevent further forest clearance and associated greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, the Brazilian Federal Government has been promoting agricultural intensification through farming practices able to increase crop and livestock productivity while restoring degraded lands. Particular attention has been dedicated to the beef cattle sector in Mato Grosso state, a globally important center of agricultural production in Southern Amazonia, where some of the highest crop productivity levels contrast with pastures of low average stocking rates. Two agricultural intensification strategies of growing importance in Mato Grosso are pasture to crop conversion (P2C) and integrated crop-livestock-forest systems (IS). While the first is a consequence of cropland expansion on pastures and might continue to happen through expected shifts in the relative profitability of certain commodities, the second entails the adoption of complex management practices and may be conditional on incentives and the existence of a favorable institutional context. Even though the Federal Government has already established policies and programs to promote P2C and IS and relies on both to reduce its total GHG emissions, the level of IS adoption remains low and many aspects of P2C and IS –including the drivers, barriers and impacts associated to their adoption –are poorly understood. This thesis sheds light on some of these uncertainties, elucidating where, how and why P2C and IS happen. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods such as surveys, focus groups, remote sensing, spatial econometrics and agent-based modeling, it seeks a better understanding of the interplay between farmers’ characteristics and preferences, supply chain infrastructure, market conditions and institutional factors, as well as how these may constrain or catalyze specific LUC pathways. Based on these findings, it ultimately compares the impacts of P2C and IS and concludes that the latter may offer greater benefits. The Introduction contextualizes the research questions explored in the subsequent chapters by offering an overview of land use change in Brazil and briefly reviewing the literature on agricultural intensification. The following chapters (2, 3, 4 and 5) form the core of the thesis and correspond to scientific publications developed during the Ph.D. program, all focused on Mato Grosso. Results are analyzed in an integrated manner under Discussion & Conclusion in light of the broader implications of agricultural intensification through P2C and IS, finally leading to policy recommendations. Chapter 2 quantifies P2C and investigates its drivers, revealing that: i) cattle vs. soy profitability and land prices do not fully explain P2C location; ii) land attributes on which classical agricultural development theories are based, may favour P2C but do not fully explain it; and iii) socioeconomic and institutional constraints are important in controlling pasture conversion, including non-productive sources of utility, producers’ perception of contract enforcement, land markets and P2C-related transaction costs. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 are dedicated to IS. Chapter 3 reveals the state-of-the-art of IS and how farmers perceive it, showing that: i) IS were concentrated in less than a third of the counties of Mato Grosso state –most of which were crop-livestock systems (iCL); ii) producers usually adopted one of three iCL strategies; and iii) the strategy choice was correlated with the land use transition undergone by each producer. Building on these findings, chapter 4 examines the determinants of wide-scale IS adoption and assesses the importance of household- and county-level variables, revealing that: i) adopters of iCL systems are better educated and have more access to technical assistance than specialized producers; ii) greater similarity exists between counties with iCL systems and soy-dominant vs. pasture-dominant counties; and iii) the presence of soy and pasture in a county is not a predictor of the occurrence of iCL systems. Finally, chapter 5 employs a bio-economic model that assesses how effective credit provision is in supporting the adoption of low-carbon systems –specifically IS and planted forests. The model simulates future land use changes in Mato Grosso under different credit scenarios and suggests that: i) credit has the potential to prompt greater adoption of IS; and ii) changes in the credit conditions (e.g. interest rates, down payment share and capital requirements) influence rates of IS adoption differently. Most existing studies on land use change in Brazil are limited to the debate between intensification vs. extensification and tend to project the effects of intensification at an aggregate level, overlooking the different drivers and impacts of specific intensification pathways. By exploring the particularities of IS and P2C, this work offers evidence that these are two distinct intensification strategies with widely different impacts – and, thus, should not be treated indistinguishably by policy makers. The merit of this thesis relies not only on its innovative theoretical approach, but also on its multidisciplinary and multi-scale nature. Through the mapping, measurement, description and interpretation of IS and P2C, it provides results able to inform policy making, facilitate the monitoring of existing policies and set the ground for subsequent research.
Life cycle assessment of perennial cultivation systems : advancing applicability and comprehensiveness
(2021) Lask, Jan; Lewandowski, Iris
Resource-efficient perennial cultivation systems are considered promising sources of sustainably produced biomass to meet the growing demand of a future European bioeconomy. They require fewer agricultural procedures than annual systems, contribute to an increase in soil carbon sequestration and can be productive on marginal land. In Europe, the C4 grass miscanthus is the most prominent and best researched perennial crop for lignocellulosic biomass production. Recently, wild plant mixtures (WPM) have been suggested as a more diverse alternative system. Perennial cultivation systems have already been the subject of multiple sustainability assessments, with life cycle assessment (LCA) being the method most commonly used. This method aims to provide a holistic depiction of the environmental performance of a system. However, two challenges are usually encountered. First, results of agricultural LCAs very much depend on site- and management-specific characteristics. Parameters such as biomass yield, quantity of fertiliser applied and carbon sequestered can vary considerably, impairing the applicability of the method. Second, most of these studies focus on greenhouse gas emissions only. Land use impacts on biodiversity are commonly neglected, casting doubt on the comprehensiveness that LCA is trying to achieve. This thesis aims to advance the applicability and comprehensiveness of LCA of perennial cultivation systems. For this purpose, it focuses on three aspects relevant to the assessment of such systems, each of which was addressed by a dedicated research question: 1) How can the conducting and application of LCAs of perennial cultivations systems be simplified? 2) Which methodological approaches are best suited for the consideration of carbon sequestration and storage in LCAs of perennial cultivation systems? 3) How can land use impacts of perennial cultivation systems on biodiversity best be incorporated into the LCA framework? These questions were answered by applying the LCA method to perennial cultivation systems in three case studies, using specific approaches for the inclusion of sensitivity analysis and the evaluation of carbon sequestration and storage. In addition, information on the biodiversity impacts of perennial crop cultivation was collated by means of a meta-analysis which compared species richness and abundance in annual and perennial crop cultivation systems. Due to the variability of agricultural systems, the life cycle inventory phase can be quite intricate. Thus, the conducting of an LCA can be substantially simplified by focusing on a few relevant inputs and outputs only. In this thesis a global sensitivity analysis was used to identify the most important inventory parameters in the greenhouse gas assessment of miscanthus cultivation: carbon sequestration, biomass yield, length of the cultivation period, nitrogen and potassium fertiliser application, and the distance over which the harvested biomass is transported. Focusing on these inventory parameters, a simplified model was developed. It allows farmers and SME active in miscanthus-based value chains easy access to customised LCA results. This thesis includes a detailed analysis of the relevance of carbon sequestration and storage in the sustainability assessment of perennial cultivation systems. It was found that the quantity and in particular the permanence of carbon sequestered through the cultivation of perennial crops are critical for their favourability in terms of global warming impacts. Two alternative methodological approaches for the quantification of carbon sequestered were tested within two of the case studies – a simple carbon model and an allometric approach. In addition, the handling of the uncertain permanence of the carbon storage was reflected upon. The approaches were compared with regard to their suitability for use by typical LCA practitioners. It was concluded that allometric models should be used for the quantification of carbon sequestered and the corresponding amount accounted for as delayed emissions. This combination provides a manageable approach for the accounting of benefits from carbon sequestration and storage, and also prevents their overestimation. Established impact assessment methods such as ReCiPe2016 suggest characterisation factors for the incorporation of land use impacts on biodiversity into LCA. These factors use relative species richness as an indicator and assume a higher species richness in perennial than annual cultivation systems. This thesis includes a critical review of these characterisation factors, drawing on the results of the meta-analysis comparison of species richness in annual arable crops and perennial rhizomatous grasses. The meta-study did not confirm a higher number of species in perennial rhizomatous grasses than in annual arable crops. It was concluded that LCA studies on perennial cultivation systems need to be cautious in their application of the land use characterisation factors suggested in present-day impact assessment methods. Criticisms of the approach include the application of one single characterisation factor for diverse perennial cultivation systems such as WPM and miscanthus and the sole focus on species richness. In future, LCA research should focus on context-specific adjustment options for land use characterisation factors to ensure an adequate representation of biodiversity impacts in agricultural LCAs. Finally, the current focus on species richness in biodiversity impact assessment needs to be reassessed.