At the end of May roughly 300 representatives of governments, as well as scientific and civil society organisations met in Berlin for the Fourth Global Soil Week (GSW), to assess some of the gaps and synergies regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) implementation, and the relevance of soil protection in this context.
Whether it’s chive, parsley, or dill – herbs are an integral part of every kitchen. They can be cultivated in a garden or bought directly at the grocery store. Cultivating them at home, however, is no easy task and more often than not does not bring the envisioned results. To avoid these disappointments, startup Agrilution has developed a new solution: “Plantcube”, a smart greenhouse for the kitchen.
The “International Conference on Bio-based Materials” is a well-established meeting point for companies working in the field of bio-based chemicals and materials. For the tenth year in a row the conference was held this year on May 10 and 11 in Cologne. Almost 200 participants, particularly experts from the chemical and plastics industry met at the event organized by Nova institute.
After the merger the company will be named “HuntsmanClariant” and is estimated to generate revenue of approximately US$ 13.2 billion. The shareholder value of the new company is projected at US$ 20 billion. Clariant will hold 52% of shares, while Huntsman will hold 48%. Similarly, the management of HuntsmanClariant will be split: The current Clariant CEO Hariolf Kottmann is the designated president of the future administrative board.
For the sixth time the “International Bioeconomy Conference” took place in Halle (Saale). The event was organized by ScienceCampus Halle – plant-based bioeconomy, and the leading edge "Cluster BioEconomy“, this year in cooperation with the partner country France. The venue for this year's conference on May 10 and 11 was the renowned German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. The goal of the meeting: linking current scientific break-throughs with future industrial applications.
Due to the ever-increasing world population, many have focussed on an effective food industry over the recent years. But climate change also affects and endangers farmland, creating an even bigger need for an effective and sustainable agriculture. The pharma company Bayer has been investing in sustainable agriculture towards securing enough food for everyone for some time now.
If drops of water roll off a surface this effect is known as the lotus effect. It is caused by specific surface structures, and industry often applies this effect to protect textiles or building surfaces. But bacteria and bacterial biofilms also produce this water-repellent surface, which makes them extremely difficult to clean off. Oliver Lieleg, Professor of Biomechanics at the Munich School of BioEngineering, and his colleagues investigated the underlying physical mechanisms that cause the resilience of bacterial biofilms.
From ship machinery to tractors and drones, Cornelia Weltzien has always considered herself an enthusiast of technology. Today, the graduate agricultural engineer feels most at home in the fields of mechanics, hydraulics or electronics. As the daughter of an immunobiologist, a sense of curiosity is part of the family tradition. Weltzien thinks she may have inherited her affinity for technology from her grandfather. “It was always like this. I was the one repairing my brothers’ bikes – not the other way round!”
The use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in agriculture is still under intense debate, and national differences of opinion have hindered a pan-European solution thus far. Still, while the global cultivation area of GMOs increased by only 3% from 2015 to 2016 (179.7 million hectares versus 185.1 million hectares), across the EU the area increased by 17% (from 116,870 to 136,363 hectares). Nonetheless, resistance against GMO products remained high in Europe.
Microplastics are small particles in cosmetics or pharmaceuticals that don’t break down, but instead become part of the food chain via small aquatic animals and fish. Because of their danger to animals and humans, many politicians in Germany have called for a ban of microplastics in the industry.