Future of food in Lower Saxony

From left: Dr Volker Heinz (DIL), Professor Nicole Kemper (TiHo), Dr Georg Schütte (VolkswagenStiftung), Professor Bernhard Brümmer (University of Göttingen), Science Minister Falko Mohrs and Rüdiger Eichel (MWK) Photo: MWK ZERN Research Network awarded around nine million euros funding To mark the start of the Research Network Zukunft der Ernährung in Niedersachsen ("Future of Nutrition in Lower Saxony" ZERN), Science Minister Falko Mohrs in Hannover presented the partners in the Network with confirmation of their award for nine million euros from the " zukunft.niedersachsen " programme. This funding will enable the University of Göttingen, the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo) and the German Institute of Food Technology (DIL) to develop ways to shape the transformation of the agricultural and food systems in Lower Saxony and thus improve sustainability over the next five years. The focus will be on agriculture, nutrition and the environment and their many interconnections. The results could serve as a model for other regions. "The ZERN Research Network will produce basic research oriented towards relevant applications via knowledge transfer through real-world practice. This will enable us to support the urgently needed transformation in the agricultural and food sector," says Lower Saxony's Science Minister Falko Mohrs. "It is only by carrying out research together in an interdisciplinary way and involving practical experience, that we will be able to meet the region's needs and make sure the transformation of our food systems is sustainable and future-proofed." "The ZERN Research Network embodies the opportunities offered by the zukunft.niedersachsen programme," says Dr Georg Schütte, Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation.