Darmstadt/Giessen/Warsaw. Research on the transformative potential of biodynamics.
How can biodynamic agriculture contribute to the sustainable transformation of our food systems? In the global context of climate crisis, resource scarcity, and a growing world population, an ongoing research project is addressing this question with increasing urgency.
The three-year project is a collaboration between the Forschungsring in Darmstadt, the Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Justus Liebig University in Giessen, and the University of Life Sciences in Warsaw. The research focuses not only on questions of the ecological sustainability of biodynamics, but also on its economic and social aspects. Demeter farms are organized as organic wholes, and importance is attached to ensuring that a farm functions within closed cycles as far as possible. This approach is referred to in international technical terminology as “closed loop systems” and is considered a model for long-term resilience and sustainability, especially in economics and production.
Furthermore, the concept of associative farming plays a key role in biodynamic farms. It emphasizes the importance of cooperation and fairness in value chains. As part of the research project, biodynamic farms are compared with conventional farms, among other things. The socioeconomic analysis is guided by questions such as: Which process leads to fair prices? Which factors make the farm resilient to crises? How can sustainable structures be anchored in the long term? Two planned doctoral theses in Giessen and Warsaw form the scientific foundation for the project. However, the findings are not only to be considered within expert circles, but also made accessible to as diverse an audience as possible through seminars and publications.
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Translation Charles Cross
Image Benjamin Wong
