Agriculture | Ecologic Institute: Science and Policy for a Sustainable World

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Publication

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Sustainability

Die Zukunft im Blick: Fleisch der Zukunft

Trendbericht zur Abschätzung der Umweltwirkungen von pflanzlichen Fleischersatzprodukten, essbaren Insekten und In-vitro-Fleisch

In July 2020, the Federal Environment Agency published the trend report "Meat of the Future", which analyzes the environmental impacts of plant-based meat substitutes, edible insects and in-vitro meat. Ecologic Institute developed policy options on how the market development of meat alternatives can be better aligned with the goal of sustainability.Read more

Project

Climate Change and Bioeconomy – Sustainability gap analysis for the agricultural sector

July 2020 to February 2021

This project seeks to bring available knowledge together on the future of the EU agricultural production, including on possible sustainability gaps in the form of food, water and energy security, land take and GHG emissions that need to be closed by 2050. The results contribute to a better understanding on how the agricultural sector can contribute to climate-change mitigation and biodiversity conservation, taking into account the growth potential of the bioeconomy and its impact on the environment.Read more

Project

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Sustainability

Reduction of Food Waste in Private Households in Germany

July 2020 to June 2023

In order to implement the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 12.3, the German government aims to halve food waste at retail and consumer levels, as well as to reduce food loss during production and supply. According to Thünen Institute calculations, 52% of the total amount of food waste is generated by private households. This corresponds to about 75 kg per person per year.Read more

Publication

Document

Agriculture

Food

The EU Farm to Fork Strategy: What needs to come next?

A first assessment of important steps for an ambitious implementation of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy

On 20 May 2020, the European Commission launched its Farm to Fork Strategy. The strategy is a first attempt to define long-term objectives for a healthy, just and sustainable EU food system that addresses both food production and consumption. The strategy is part of the EU Green Deal and was published against the background of the Corona crisis that has critically highlighted the dependence of the EU food system on global supply chains and the need to increase resilience against shocks. The Ecologic Institute's initial assessment highlights five important steps for an ambitious implementation of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy – on EU, national and regional level.Read more

Presentation

Food and Climate Protection

TimeLoc

18 May 2020

Germany

Stephanie Wunder

With more than 1500 participants in the live stream and via YouTube, the online webinar "Saving the climate with knife and fork? How our eating habits affect the environment" on 18 May 2020 was a complete success. Together, Tanja Dräger de Teran (WWF) and Stephanie Wunder (Ecologic Institute), highlighted the links between daily nutritional routines and their impact on climate, land use and health.

The event was organized in cooperation with the German Adult Education Association ("Volkshochschulen") and part of theRead more

Event

Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Coastal Areas

TimeLoc

30 April 2020

online

Speaker

Esther Boere

Daniel Lincke

COACCH Project (CO-designing the Assessment of Climate Change Costs) launched a webinar series to share its results on economic assessment of climate change and adaptation. On 30 April 2020, the project hosted its first webinar "Insights from the COACCH project I: Climate change impacts on agriculture, forestry, fisheries and coastal areas" and focuses on sectoral economic assessments.Read more

Publication

Report

Agriculture

Soil

Synthesis Report on Knowledge Demands and Needs of Stakeholders

Soils matter: We depend on soil health for our food and their condition is also closely linked to our ability to respond to the climate crisis. World soils contain a stock of about 1,500-2,500 gigatons of organic carbon, which is more than three times the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Their degradation entails the risk of emitting large amounts of carbon, as well as undermining both soil fertility and food security. At the same time, sustainable management of soils can sequester carbon, while simultaneously supporting valuable ecosystem services and food security.Read more

Publication

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Contribution to the 2020 Roadmap Consultation on the Farm to Fork Strategy

Position paper on the EU "Farm to Fork" Strategy

In this position paper the Ecologic Institute, the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) submitted a contribution to the EU Commission's roadmap consultation on the Farm to Fork strategy. The strategy is expected to be finalized until 29 April 2020 and will have an impact on the future Common agricultural policy. The position paper identifies the needs for the strategy and gives policy recommendations.Read more

Publication

Sieben auf einen Streich

Regionale Ernährungsstrategien als Schlüssel für eine nachhaltigere Stadt-Umland-Kooperation

The German article "Seven at one blow! Regional Food Strategies as key to more sustainable Urban-Rural cooperations" deals with the role of regional food strategies as a promising approach for an integrated, sustainable development of urban and rural areas. The article, written by Stephanie Wunder, Coordinator Food Systems at the Ecologic Institute and Franziska Wolff, Head of Environmental Law & Governance at Öko-Institut summarizes the results of the UBA project "Rural Urban Nexus", led by Ecologic Institute. The text is part of "The Critical Agricultural Report". Since 1993 "Der kritische Agrarbericht" is an annually published flagship book, that critically reflects about agriculture in Germany in the context of the EU Common Agricultural Policy. The 2020 edition focused on the changing relationship between rural and urban areas. Read more

Publication

Regionale Ernährungssysteme und nachhaltige Landnutzung im Stadt-Land-Nexus

This study shows that a commitment to a regional food policy promises positive effects in a whole range of policy areas, including environmental protection, sustainable land use, health, strengthening local value chains, education, and participation. Regional food policy in Germany requires the establishment of new structures and can only succeed if administrations work together across disciplines and sectors, if there is cooperation between the city and its environs and if it is shaped in a participatory process together with all the actors concerned. Due to the high media interest and the mobilisation potential that the topic of nutrition has to offer, it might be easier to set up these processes compared to many other topics.Read more