Bioeconomy | Agriculture

Artificial fertilizers, chemical-based pesticides and the increased use of machines and technical processes have significantly boosted agricultural yields over the decades. While it took one farmer to feed ten people after World War II, the yield of one farmer can now supply 135 people, a transition that has more than left its mark on the ecosystem. Biodiversity is on the decline, pesticide residues in food and water are a major problem, and the ecological balance has been destroyed. Fraunhofer researchers are working on making agriculture more sustainable.