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Ein Markt in Afrika mit Bananen

Our research in the Thünen topic "World Food Supply and Global Resources" is broadly based. The activities can be assigned to three focal areas:

  • Our activities and the world food supply: We analyze how different diets of the German population and international agricultural trade affect world food supply. From this, we derive policy recommendations.

  • Sustainable resource use in emerging and developing countries: Here, the primary focus is on forests. We analyze development concepts for tropical forest regions, approaches to forest restoration in Africa, and innovative forest-pasture systems in South America.

  • Global concepts and networks: In the framework of multinational networks, we investigate governance concepts for reducing deforestation, food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The LandLessFood project addresses food from bioreactors.

 

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Ein Einkaufsstand in Nepal, im Vordergrund viel Obst und Gemüse, allerdings auch Erfrischungen und Chips
Develop local markets, understand global trade

Adequate and balanced meals are the basis of a healthy diet and often unaffordable for poor people. What can domestic production and trade contribute to improving food security for those people?

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AGMEMOD goes Africa

Appropriate strategies are needed to improve food security in African countries. We help to build competence together with partners from Africa to develop these strategies.

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Tropical Forests - Use as Protection

Timber extraction, palm oil production and other forms of use often lead to the degradation and clearing of natural forest ecosystems. How can use nevertheless contribute to the conservation of tropical forests? Why is protecting through using so ...

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Sustainable management of tropical forests

Is the economic exploitation of tropical forests acceptable? Yes, says Richard Fischer, scientist of the Thünen Institute of International Forestry and Forest Economics. If the exploitation follows sustainable principles.

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A mountain of food waste, including bread rolls, bread, citrus fruit, apples, leeks and fish
Less is more: reducing food losses and waste

The production of safe food is resource-intensive. Nevertheless, one third of the quantities produced are thrown away. What strategies can help to prevent food loss and waste on their way from the fields to our plates?

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A food warehouse from above
How food loss and waste can arise

An average foodstuff goes through about 33 hands before it can be inspected by the customer in the supermarket. Well-coordinated flows of goods enable a smooth process. Sometimes, however, a stone comes into the gearbox. This can also lead to food ...

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Zwei gelbe Schilder mit der Aufschrift Dumpster Diving (Mülltaucher) und Foodwaste (Lebensmittelverschwendung)
Searching for food in the garbage– who does that?

Not only homeless people search for food in waste bins. Some do it out of respect for food and criticism of society.

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A green apple with a deep notch
Why many apples in the landfill spoil the climate

Large quantities of methane are released during the landfilling of food waste. This gas increases the greenhouse effect and should therefore be avoided.

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Discarded food scraps, including bread, bread rolls, citrus fruit and salad
When food is left over and nobody else wants it - where to put it?

Food should be used sensibly. What is no longer edible for humans is suitable, for example, as feed for animals or as an energy source for biogas plants.

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Ein Flußdiagramm das verschiedene Abhängigkeiten, Zu- und Abflüsse von der Lebenserzeugung bis zum Verbraucher darstellt
Food waste as an environmental pollutant

To what extent does German food waste pollute the environment? And how much must greenhouse gases be reduced so that we can meet the United Nations‘ goal of halving the per capita food waste at the retail and consumer levels by 2030?

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Plattfische, die nach dem Fang ins Meer zurückgeworfen werden
Discards in marine fisheries

Until a few years ago, fishers in EU waters were forced to discard fish if they had already exhausted their quota for this species or if the fish were too small. This rule was intended to protect stocks, but often had the opposite effect.

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Promoting healthy and sustainable diets

What factors influence individual eating habits? And how can we ensure that people eat healthier, fairer and more sustainably? The Thünen Institute investigates these questions at national and international level.

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Die Grafik zeigt fünf verschiedene Menschen in verschiedenen Farben, die von links nach rechts dicker werden
Situation in Germany

There is enough food available in Germany. Nevertheless, malnutrition and hunger exist in addition to overweight and obesity in the population due to poverty. What influence does the food environment have?

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The state of global food security

As part of the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations intend to end hunger worldwide by 2030. At present, we are far from achieving this goal.

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Marktsituation in Accra, Ghana: Importiertes tiefgefrorenes Geflügelfleisch wird abgewogen.
Europe's poultry and dairy exports to West Africa

Exports of poultry and dairy products from Europe to Africa have been criticized for years. Using the West African countries of Ghana and Senegal as examples, the Thünen Institute has investigated how imported products affect local consumption and ...

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