Food production of the future

Current agricultural systems are faced with a dilemma: on the one hand, they are essential for the supply of food, but on the other hand, they are partly responsible for climate change and biodiversity loss. An interdisciplinary team from various research institutes wanted to change this. With CUBES Circle, the consortium has created a cycle-based system that is integrated into an urban infrastructure and links different production systems with one another.

“Through innovation, we utilize the entire value chain of the pea”

Legumes such as peas are known to be rich in protein and can replace animal proteins in food and animal feed or expensive soy imports. Saxony-Anhalt is therefore focusing on peas as a crop of the future and is striving to become a “Center for Pea Bioeconomy”. In the “DiPisum” project, a team led by project coordinator Jochen Reif aims to bundle the region's strengths on a broad scale over the coming years and tap into the potential of the pea by utilizing all innovations along the value chain.

Using oats as a source of protein

Oats are one of the oldest cultivated plants and are valued as a food mainly because of the carbohydrates in the grain. As an alternative milk substitute in the form of oat drinks, the plant has been attracting increasing public attention for some years now. Compared to animal milk or soy, however, oat proteins have so far played a minor role in nutrition. Researchers at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences want to change this.

Bio-based coatings for ships

The hull area of large container ships can be over 30,000 square meters, on which a variety of organisms such as algae, mussels and barnacles settle. On the one hand, this increases the flow resistance and therefore fuel consumption, and on the other hand, sensitive marine ecosystems are endangered by introduced species.

Paludiculture under PV systems

Producing food on agricultural land and generating electricity at the same time - this concept is not new. So-called agri-photovoltaic systems (agri-PV systems) are already being tested at various locations across Germany. One advantage is that the dual use of agricultural land creates new sources of income for farmers. The MoorPower project is now investigating whether such a concept can also make the rewetting of degraded moorland more attractive for farms.

Volkswagen Foundation supports ideas for a circular bioeconomy

Whether in toys, cosmetics, cleaning products or fertilizers: Microplastics are contained in numerous products. These micrometer-sized particles are now not only present in bodies of water, but also in the soil, where they are harmful to plants and animals and thus to ecosystems. As part of the “Circularity with recycled and biogenic raw materials” funding initiative, the Volkswagen Foundation is once again supporting innovations for an environmentally friendly and circular economy.

Sustainable insect farming with AI

In many parts of the world, people already eat insects. They are full of high-quality proteins and are easy to breed in large quantities while conserving resources, as they feed on organic waste. Insects can therefore make an important contribution to feeding the world and at the same time protect resources and the environment. Despite its enormous potential, insect farming is still associated with high process costs and an equally high consumption of resources.

Restoring arable soils with catch crops

Catch crops such as field mustard or legumes are small all-rounders for agriculture: they serve as animal feed or remain on the field as green manure to prepare or improve the soil for the next main crop. In this way, plants are supplied with nutrients, humus formation is promoted, the water, nutrient and carbon balance in the soil is stabilized and erosion is prevented. However, their potential as pollutant removers has so far been underestimated.