Research for sustainable food systems

The European Union approves funding for several projects in which the University of Bonn is involved. How does international trade in agricultural and forest products affect biodiversity? A research project led by the University of Bonn will investigate this question, particularly for animal feed, energy crops, tropical timber and aquacultures. In collaboration with stakeholders from politics, the private sector and civil society, the researchers will develop innovative solutions for more sustainable production and consumption. The European Union is funding the project with around 2.6 million euros over the next three years, of which around 850,000 euros will go to the University of Bonn. Funding has been granted for other projects. "The project, called CLEVER, aims to improve the scientific basis for measuring, analyzing and computer-assisted simulation of links between international trade in agricultural and forest products and biodiversity," says Jan Börner of the Institute of Food and Resource Economics (ILR) and the Center for Development Research (ZEF) at the University of Bonn. The researchers are focusing on non-food biomass products, such as soy for feed and bioenergy, tropical timber, and aquaculture products. Based on this, innovative solutions will be developed in collaboration with stakeholders from policy, private sector, and civil society. "This is a decidedly transdisciplinary approach that fits very well into the concept of transdisciplinary research areas at the University of Bonn," says Börner. In addition to the University of Bonn, which is coordinating the project, eleven other partners from Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Cameroon and Brazil are involved. FoodCost: indirect costs of food production