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Commission on the Future of Agriculture in Germany : A multi-stakeholder approach to sustainability transformation
No full textBeratungssystem zur digitalisierten integrierten Durchführung von Anforderungen für Qualität, Umwelt und Arbeitssicherheit in der Lebensmittelkette (Qualint)
No full textMethodische Untersuchungen zur Prüfung des Einflusses einer Schwefel-Applikation auf den pH-Wert und die Stickstoffemissionen während der Grüngutkompostierung
No full textGrüngutkomposte stellen einen nachhaltigen Ausgangsstoff für gärtnerische Kultursubstrate dar. Allerdings liegt ihr pH-Wert mit 7,0 bis 8,5 oft über dem pflanzenbaulich anzustrebenden Niveau. Zudem kann der Anstieg des pH-Werts während der Kompostierung zu beträchtlichen Emissionen umweltrelevanter Gase wie Ammoniak und Lachgas führen. Ziel eines laufenden Forschungsprojekts ist es, den pH-Wert während der Kompostierung im moderat sauren Bereich zu halten, um ein sofort einsatzbares Endprodukt zu erzeugen und gleichzeitig gasförmige Stickstoffverluste zu vermindern. Hierzu wird elementarer Schwefel (S⁰) eingesetzt, den hauptsächlich Bakterien aus der Gattung Thiobacillus zu Schwefelsäure oxidieren. Während der Kompostierung entstehende Carbonate sollen auf diesem Weg neutralisiert werden. Zu diesem Zweck wurden drei Kompostierungssysteme entwickelt, um den Einfluss der S⁰-Dosis, der Produktform, des Applikations-Zeitpunkts (Heiß-, Haupt- und Nachrotte) und des Ausgangsmaterials (z. B. C/N-Verhältnis) auf die pH-Entwicklung und die Auswirkungen auf die gasförmigen Stickstoffverluste zu untersuchen. Das erste System simuliert den Kompostierungsprozess in einem Klimaschrank und ermöglicht die Untersuchung einer großen Anzahl von Varianten in 2-Liter-Behältern. Um zusätzlich gasförmige Emissionen zu erfassen, wurde ein zweites System mit belüfteten Reaktoren (70 Liter) entwickelt. Durch eine konstante Umgebungstemperatur und eine hohe Isolierung der Reaktoren wird während der Heißrottephase eine Temperatur von bis zu 60 °C im Rottegut generiert. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen dieser beiden Systeme werden in weiteren Untersuchungen die vielversprechendsten Behandlungen in Kompostboxen mit einem Volumen von 1,8 m³ wiederholt. Abschließend werden die allgemeinen Substrateigenschaften des behandelten Grüngutkomposts in Pflanzenversuchen ermittelt
Bridging the Gap Between Individual Actions and Structural Constraints : Exploring Solutions for Sustainable Lifestyles in Germany
Full text linkPrivate households are often caught between their own responsibility and powerlessness in the climate crisis. While the IPCC points to private consumption as crucial for the 1.5-degree target (Salo et al. 2021; Skea et al. 2022), the potential of households is often overestimated compared to political or economic levers. Nevertheless, emissions caused from individual lifestyles in the Global North remain high. Achieving the 2030 target of 2.5 tonnes CO2eq per capita per year (Akenji et al. 2021), will require drastic reductions in all areas of consumption, including housing, mobility, nutrition and leisure.
When examining transformation processes at the individual level, it becomes clear that the implementation of sustainable lifestyles is often constrained by so-called lock-in effects. These effects prevent individuals from adopting sustainable practices due to existing structures that are beyond their direct control. For example, the use of public transport is directly dependent on the services available, and in rented accommodation, switching to sustainable heating systems is only possible with the agreement of the landlord.
In order to widen the scope for individual decision-making and promote sustainable consumption choices in everyday life, it is essential to reduce lock-in effects and create sustainable consumption structures. The municipal space, as the centre of daily life, plays a crucial role in this context. This presentation aims to show, how sustainable lifestyles can be mainstreamed at the local level through structural changes. A case study was carried out in an area in Lower Saxony, Germany. In a first phase, private households (n=34) were encouraged to adopt sustainable strategies using a serious gaming approach. This led to the identification of GHG reduction potentials as well as opportunities and challenges in general and specific to this area. The results show that the implementation of short term measures can lead to an average reduction of 14% in the Lifestyle Carbon Footprint. However, further reduction potential can be realized by overcoming existing challenges. The challenges encountered by the participants during the test phase were subsequently identified through group discussions and interviews with the participants. It became clear that many challenges can only be addressed through structural changes, for example, the availability of adequate public transport or plant-based products in grocery stores and out-of-home dining. These findings form the starting point for the second phase, which takes place at the municipal level.
The second phase involves a stakeholder-driven development process aimed at designing low-threshold and solution-oriented approaches to address these local challenges in implementing sustainable strategies. The methodology is a design thinking process with relevant stakeholders from the region, including representatives from politics, business, and community-based initiatives. The workshop is planned for November 2024. The aim is to develop prototype solutions for the most important areas related to the household, such as mobility, nutrition, housing, and consumption.
The results of the household study, including the GHG reduction potentials and identified challenges, as well as the results of the stakeholder process will be presented at the SCORAI Europe Conference
Food redistribution in Germany : implementation and influencing factors - An empirical study based on "Tafel" food banks in Lower Saxony
No full textIn Germany, large amounts of food are wasted, while at the same time many people are affected by food poverty. Food distribution is one possible way to mitigate both of these issues. To date, there has been a lack of reliable data that would allow conclusions to be drawn about the processes behind food redistribution and the factors that contribute to its success. This article presents some initial results on how food distribution processes are currently organized, the associated challenges and the factors influencing food distribution, based on “Tafel” food banks in Lower Saxony. The article particularly focuses on legal issues as a potentially limiting factor. One important legal aspect is the way Tafel food banks are currently categorized: as food businesses – with all the requirements that this categorization implies. Therefore, the focus of this article is not assessing the quality of the donated food, but rather examining the processes behind food redistribution. The qualitative data was collected using a mixed methods approach. In order to ensure that food redistribution remains viable in the future, it is necessary to tap into new potential sources of donations all along the value chain. One way of doing this would be to take a closer look at previously untapped sources of donations, such as catering outside the home, or underutilized sources, such as primary production. However, above all, the article argues that changing the way legal issues are handled will be key to increasing the amount of food that can be donated. It shows that the processes used by the various Tafel food banks are very heterogeneous, which means that tailored solutions are required
Hollow Stem in Broccoli as Affected by Cultivation Factors and Crop Characteristics
No full textBroccoli is an economically important cruciferous vegetable worldwide. A considerable proportion of the harvest can be affected by hollow stem. This physiological disorder causes splitting of the stalk pith tissue. If the damage is severe and leads to discoloration or rot, the produce becomes unmarketable. The aim of an ongoing research project is therefore to develop cultivation strategies to prevent this quality degradation. It is known that factors promoting rapid and vigorous plant growth favor the development of hollow stems in broccoli. In this study, we examined the significance of nitrogen supply (100, 200, and 300 kg N ha⁻¹) and plant spacing (60 cm × 40 cm, and 30 cm × 20 cm) in this context. The field trial was conducted in northwest Germany with the broccoli varieties 'Parthenon' and 'Naxos' (n = 4). At harvest, plant characteristics such as hollow stem formation, head weight, and stem diameter were recorded. Furthermore, the nitrogen content in the dry matter of the broccoli heads and residual soil mineral nitrogen (0–60 cm depth) were determined. The frequency and intensity of hollow stem formation were significantly influenced by plant density, nitrogen supply and the broccoli variety. With close planting, almost no hollow stems were observed. At wider plant density, the proportion of hollow broccoli heads increased with higher nitrogen supply. The variety 'Parthenon' proved particularly susceptible: 30 % (low nitrogen supply) to 70 % (high nitrogen supply) of the harvest showed this disorder. In the 'Naxos' variety, the proportion of hollow stems was significantly lower, ranging from 1 % (low nitrogen supply) to 28 % (high nitrogen supply). Overall, the occurrence of hollow stems closely correlated with stem diameter (r² = 0.91) and head weight (r² = 0.72). Broccoli with a stem diameter of less than 3.5 cm or a head weight of under 400 g was hardly hollow stemmed. A closer plant spacing reduced the average head weight. However, at medium to high nitrogen supply, it also led to a higher yield per unit area compared to wider plant density. There were no significant differences in head yield and nitrogen content of broccoli between the medium and high nitrogen supply levels. However, the residual soil nitrogen increased with higher nitrogen supply at the end of the growing period. The results of the study show that variety selection, optimization of plant density, and nitrogen fertilization can contribute to reducing hollow stem in broccoli
From Fen to Pot : Evaluating Processed Cattail as a Peat Substitute in Horticultural Growing Media
No full textBroadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia) harvested from rewetted lowland fens could serve as a sustainable input material for horticultural growing media. This study aimed to assess the impact of different processing methods on the suitability of broadleaf cattail as a substrate component. The following treatments were applied: chopping, defibration, composting, and fermentation. The processed materials were then mixed with white peat at proportions of 10%, 30%, and 50% (v/v). Two vegetation experiments with petunia were conducted, using cattail harvested from different sites in Germany and the Netherlands. Pure white peat served as the control in both trials, which were arranged in randomized block designs with four replications. Plant growth, nutrient content in shoot dry matter, and various chemical and physical substrate parameters were analyzed. In the first trial, plant growth declined as the proportion of cattail in the substrate increased. At 30% (v/v), the fresh mass yield of petunias was, on average, about a quarter lower than in pure peat. When the substrate contained 50% (v/v) cattail, fresh mass yield was reduced by more than half. Substrate and plant analyses suggested that growth impairments were primarily due to initial nitrogen immobilization (particularly in cattail fibers) and high potassium content (especially in composted cattail, with up to 2125 mg K₂O L⁻¹). Yield reductions occurred when the nitrogen content in the shoot dry matter dropped below 5% (w/w) at the intermediate harvest after 17 days of cultivation or when the potassium content in the shoot dry matter exceeded 5% (w/w) at the end of cultivation. The cattail used in the second trial contained significantly less potassium, with a maximum of 529 mg K₂O L⁻¹ in the composted material. Additionally, plants received 50% more nitrogen fertilizer than typically required for adequate petunia nutrition. In this experiment, plants in all treatments grew comparably to those cultivated in pure peat, even at the highest cattail proportion. No differences were found in flower formation either. All plants achieved marketable quality. The nitrogen content in the shoot dry matter did not differ significantly between the variants. These findings suggest that the suitability of cattail as a substrate component depends more on its origin and composition than on the processing method. Increased nitrogen immobilization in cattail-containing substrates can be counteracted by appropriately adjusted fertilization during plant cultivation
Resources matter! Local engagement promoters as governance actors in rural areas – A case study from North Rhine-Westphalia
No full textSeit den 1990er Jahren stehen deutsche Kommunen unter finanziellem und demografischem Druck, wodurch die partnerschaftliche Zusammenarbeit mit zivilgesellschaftlichen Akteuren immer wichtiger geworden ist. Ziel ist die Einbindung von Bürger*innen und zivilgesellschaftlichen Organisationen in Entscheidungsund Problemlösungsprozesse, bekannt als Governance-Ansatz. Im Sinne lokaler Governance sind kommunale Akteur*innen gefordert, als verlässliche Partner*innen von Engagierten und ihrer Organisationen aufzutreten – insbesondere in ländlichen Regionen und in Zeiten des Strukturwandels des Engagements. Aber gelingt ihnen das auch? Inwiefern agieren Engagementförder* innen in der Praxis als Governance-Akteur*innen? Dieser Frage gehen wir auf Basis einer Fallstudie anhand von Interviews mit 16 Engagementförder*innen im ländlichen Landkreis Lippe in Nordrhein- Westfalen nach. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass institutionelle Verankerung und verfügbare Ressourcen das Selbstverständnis von Engagementförder*innen als Governance-Akteur*innen und deren Wahrnehmung von zivilgesellschaftlichen Akteuren als Partner positiv beeinflussen. Unsere Handlungsempfehlungen zielen u. a. auf adäquate Ressourcenausstattung und langfristige Vernetzungen.Since the 1990s, German municipalities have been under financial and demographic pressure, making it increasingly important to work in partnership with civil society actors. The aim is to involve citizens in decision-making and problem-solving processes, known as the governance approach. In the spirit of local governance, local actors are called up-on to act as reliable partners for volunteers and their organizations – especially in rural areas and in times of structural change in volunteering. But do they succeed? To what extent do engagement promoters act as governance actors in practice? We explore these questions in a case study involving interviews with 16 engagement promoters in the rural district of Lippe in North Rhine-Westphalia. The results show that institutional anchoring and available resources positively influence the self-image of engagement promoters as governance actors and their perception of civil society actors as partners. Our recom-mendations for action include adequate resource allocation and long-term networking