Short-Term Scientific Mission

Short-Termin Scientific Missions

2025

Investigating Agroforestry Farmers’ Personal Values and Sustainable Business Models – A Country Comparison of Germany and the UK

Agroforestry is a promising approach to tackle global land use issues. Combining trees with crops or livestock can increase the resilience of agricultural landscapes, while reconciling competing demands for land use.
Nevertheless, agroforestry is implemented very cautiously. Instead of assuming that farmers plant trees for the "right price", we are the first to investigate personal values and innovative Sustainable Business Models to explain why and how agroforestry is included in British and German farming portfolios.
A scientific investigation into these topics is important because the successful realisation of both countries' ambitious political objectives depends largely on the interest of farmers in implementing and expanding agroforestry. This approach is intended to help political decision-makers create effective incentives to encourage farmers to adopt agroforestry and thus achieve the political goals.
As the UK is advanced in modern agroforestry, Germany could potentially learn from the country comparison regarding levers for implementation to create more resilient landscapes.


Contact Details:

Valeska Maria Volckens
E-Mail: valeska.volckens@uni-goettingen.de
Phone: +49-551-39-26766

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The economic resilience of farming systems to weather shocks and climate extremes

Climate change-induced increases in the magnitude and frequency of extreme hydro-meteorological events pose risks to the productivity and sustainability of farming systems. Resilience-enhancing strategies may enable farming systems to better cope to such threats. A farming system’s resilience entails its ability to maintain both ecosystem and socio-economic functions during a shock. This STSM, led by Guy Low (Agriculture and Food Business Management), will collaborate with the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University which is highly competent in weather risk management, climate change economics, and agricultural insurance. This project will directly contribute to a pipeline of research papers that will assess the economic resilience of farming systems to weather shocks and climate extremes in Germany, the US, and worldwide. This STSM will thus also establish an intellectual link for future collaborations on farming system resilience under an uncertain future climate.


Contact Details:

Guy Low
E-Mail: guy.low@uni-goettingen.de
Phone: +49-551-39-27985

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STSM 3

Under construction


Contact Details:

José Ortega
E-Mail: josemaria.ortegaballadares@uni-goettingen.de
Phone: +49-551-39-23761

Thomas Hay
E-Mail: thomas.hay@uni-goettingen.de
Phone: +49-551-39-23466

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STSM 4

Under construction