Land is a scarce and expensive resource. Whether in urban or rural areas, interests often diverge widely when it comes to land use, as demands range from species protection to food production and recreation. In addition, conventional agricultural practices exacerbate global crises such as biodiversity loss, climate change and food security uncertainties. Multifunctional landscapes could be one solution, as researchers from the Universities of Göttingen and Kassel show in a recent study.

Glycolate – also known as glycolic acid – is a basic chemical and serves as a starting material for the production of preservatives, polymers and medicines. Until now, the substance has been obtained from fossil raw materials, some of which are toxic. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology (FEP) in Dresden, Chemnitz University of Technology and Leipzig University are currently developing a sustainable process for glycolate production as part of the PhotoKon project.

Organic farming is a climate-friendly form of agriculture. It deliberately avoids the use of pesticides. Instead, organic fertilisers and adapted crop rotations are used to promote plant growth and protect them from disease. However, organic farming also suffers from the consequences of climate change, such as drought and heat. A new study involving the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) offers organic farms a solution for achieving sufficient yields even in drought conditions while protecting the environment.

Can artificial intelligence help make agriculture more productive, sustainable and cost-effective? This question is the focus of the new AI Living Lab for Agriculture (RLA), which officially began its work on 17 October. Together with seven partners, the research team led by the University of Osnabrück is dedicated to developing intelligent technologies for a resilient agricultural and food industry.

Drought and heat put many plants under stress and often cause their water reserves to be depleted. A research team at the Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) at Heidelberg University has now discovered a previously unknown molecular mechanism that helps plants conserve water.

Traditionally produced leather is associated with significant environmental impacts, including deforestation, high emissions and pollution. Conventional synthetic leather is also criticised: it often contains plastics or is tanned using harmful chemicals, which can have negative effects on the environment and health. As a result, demand for leather alternatives is steadily increasing. In the FABULOSE project, eleven European partners are developing new scalable and bio-based production routes for animal-free leather alternatives.