acatech HORIZONS: Sustainable Agriculture

Why Sustainable Agriculture?

When the topic of “sustainable agriculture” comes up, many people first think of the small farms producing food in organic quality. But sustainability is multi-layered and more than “just” organic. This HORIZONTE publication aims to create awareness for all aspects of “sustainability” and clarify what the terminology entails.

The high relevance of the topic for acatech stems primarily from the high degree of digitalization in today’s agriculture, which is discussed under the term “smart farming”. Technology can be used to make farm processes and the use of resources more efficient. As a result, pesticide use can be reduced and greater sustainability achieved overall.

By its very nature, farming is a complex issue in which biological, chemical, technical and lastly, social processes interact. Through the HORIZONTE format, agriculture will be highlighted in the context of its transformative potential and, in the wake of a growing world population and global warming, its increasing importance. It is a topic that, due to its social and political relevance, should be treated in an informative discourse that presents facts in a way that is understandable for all stakeholders – from farmers to politicians and consumers.

Overview: the acatech HORIZONS series

In the acatech HORIZONS series, the academy explores important technology fields that are already looming large on the horizon, but where there is still some uncertainty about their potential impacts. More