agri:change – Future through change: Sustainability transformation in the agricultural and food industry in Lower Saxony

Project objectives

The project's goal is to actively shape the transformation of the agricultural and food industry in Lower Saxony. In four agri:labs, transdisciplinary teams are developing practical solutions and concepts – for instance, to assess sustainability throughout the entire value chain, or to identify social trends that can drive change. Other focal points include cycle-oriented resource use, improved animal welfare and generating new sources of income through innovative business models.

At the Institute of Environmental Planning, Prof. Dr. Christian Albert and Dr. Daniela Kempa are co-directing agri:labX4, which is researching socio-ecological transformation processes in intensively and extensively used agricultural and peatland landscapes in Lower Saxony. Against the backdrop of the trilemma of meeting climate protection, biodiversity and productivity goals in agricultural landscapes, the challenges faced by various landscape types in Lower Saxony are being examined. The project aims to provide new impetus for sustainable landscape development through transdisciplinary collaboration between researchers and stakeholders in real-world laboratories. The focus is on joint learning processes and developing transformation knowledge for local and landscape levels.

Project management of the joint project:

The applicant and coordinator of the joint project agri:chnage is the Georg August University of Göttingen, supported in transdisciplinary coordination, governance, and knowledge transfer by the Lower Saxony Agricultural Transformation Research Network (trafo:agrar).