MABEWO – Green Agriculture
The challenges facing agriculture in times of climate change are enormous. Extreme weather and rising temperatures are changing the rules of the agricultural world, and the food security of the world‘s population is at stake. But how can agriculture be made sustainable to meet these challenges? Which key technologies will shape the future of agriculture?
Climate change and its effects on agriculture
In recent years the weather has changed dramatically. We are experiencing the hottest three-month period on record, with rising sea surface temperatures and an increase in extreme weather events. August 2023 was about 1.5°C warmer than the pre-industrial average, and the last nine summers have been the warmest on record. These extreme weather conditions lead to uncertainties in agricultural production, both in terms of yields and quality
Looking across Europe, the ongoing drought has posed major challenges to crop production. The western Mediterranean region in particular was hit by a devastating drought. In Europe, drought conditions in 2023 and 2022 were worse than in 2021, with the exception of northern Scandinavia. A change in weather in August 2023 further complicated harvesting activities in Europe, with rainy and dry areas affected differently.
These climatic changes require agriculture to face new challenges:
Optimized water management: With increasing droughts, farmers need to optimize their water management to reduce water consumption while still providing adequate irrigation.
New plant breeding: Plant breeders must increasingly focus on developing varieties that are adapted to changing climatic conditions.
Adapting crop rotations: Farmers must adapt their crop rotations to changing climate conditions to maximize yields.
More efficient use of operating resources: Given the rising costs of operating resources, the more efficient use of these resources is becoming increasingly important.
These adaptations require significant investments to make agriculture more resilient to the challenges of climate change.
Global agricultural markets under pressure
The situation on the global agricultural markets reflects the challenges facing agriculture. The wheat market in particular is facing major difficulties. Global supply is tight, trading activity is lower than usual and inventories are shrinking. Production in the EU, China and Canada is declining, only partially offset by increases in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Ukraine’s exports are limited and inventories of major exporters are declining.
The global grain trade balance shows that consumption and production are almost in balance, but inventories remain at low levels. Price increases are therefore inevitable and prices are difficult to predict.
Investment intentions of companies in Europe
A recent survey of European farmers revealed interesting insights into investment intentions. Almost half of those surveyed plan to invest in a new tractor in the next two years. Particular interest lies in the technologies of precision farming and automation.
Innovations in agriculture
Farmers are increasingly relying on innovations to make their operations more efficient and sustainable. Energy efficiency is a focus because energy costs have a significant impact on overall costs. Liquid manure spreading technology and mechanical crop protection are becoming particularly important in order to promote environmental protection and efficiency.
Smart and precision farming technologies are also in demand as they help to optimize input consumption. Despite some challenges in data processing and interoperability, “big data” and “artificial intelligence” are seen as future innovations.
Farmers also expect innovative solutions in plant breeding to adapt plants to climate change and diseases. In comparison, new technologies in fertilization are given less priority. For this reason, indoor farming solutions are coming into focus.
Indoor Farming: The Future of Sustainable Agriculture
Indoor farming has established itself as a pioneering model in the transformation towards more sustainable agriculture. Modern greenhouses, which are often designed in a vertical design, require intelligent control systems and sensors to function in closed agricultural systems regardless of external environmental conditions. Automation is therefore a central topic that is the focus of the “Inhouse Farming – Feed & Food Show”. This new innovation meeting point of the DLG (German Agricultural Society) will take place for the first time from November 12th to 18th, 2023 together with Agritechnica in Hanover.
These groundbreaking technologies enable the cultivation of crops in closed systems that are independent of external weather conditions. They are so compact that they look like ordinary shipping containers from the outside, but house an entire farm inside. Mobile vertical farming solutions provide fresh, locally grown lettuces, herbs and root vegetables all year round, regardless of prevailing climatic conditions.
These innovative technologies expand the possibilities of plant cultivation and bring food production directly to densely populated urban areas. At the same time, they significantly reduce the consumption of water and fertilizers compared to conventional field cultivation. Indoor farming is therefore not only a sustainable but also an extremely efficient method of securing food supplies, especially in times when the world population is constantly growing and resources are becoming more scarce. The “Inhouse Farming – Feed & Food Show” at Agritechnica presents these groundbreaking innovations that are sustainably changing the future of agriculture.
Evaluation of green measures in agriculture
Over two thirds of those surveyed have already taken measures to use resources more efficiently and adapt to climate change. This includes expanding crop rotation, site-specific application of inputs and the implementation of water management strategies.
Farmers are aware that “green measures” are necessary to ensure sustainability in agriculture and mitigate the effects of climate change.
The future of agriculture faces major challenges, but the industry is showing determination and innovation to meet these challenges. From more sustainable farming methods to high-tech solutions that tackle climate change, agriculture is changing. These changes will not only increase productivity, but also help ensure food security for the world‘s population while protecting the environment. The future of agriculture is green and promising.
V.i.S.d.P.:
Jörg Trübl
environmental engineer
Board of Directors MABEWO AG
MABEWO AG stands for sustainability. “Make a better world” invests in the future and develops innovative technologies to solve the greatest challenges of our time: climate protection, energy transition, resource conservation and food supply. Mr. Jörg Trübl is a trained environmental engineer and has 20 years of practical business experience in corporate management as a consultant, coach and CEO of SMEs in Europe.
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