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Energy efficiency in community-supported agriculture (CSA) compared to conventional vegetable production
Given the many challenges facing agriculture, approaches are needed that promote both food security and environmental sustainability. Community-supported agriculture (CSA) shows great potential in this regard, particularly with regard to the efficient use of energy.
In a case study, three SoLaWi farms were compared with three conventional vegetable farms. The entire energy balance from production to the farm (life cycle assessment) was analysed. The SoLaWi farms showed better overall energy efficiency in the use of non-renewable energies, including lower consumption of fossil fuels and, in some cases, their own electricity production using photovoltaics. Although yields were lower in some cases, SoLaWi farms achieved high overall energy returns thanks to short supply chains and low processing costs.
In addition, SoLaWi offers additional ecological, social and economic benefits, such as greater biodiversity, less food waste, education and transparency, and secure sales markets. These aspects make SoLaWi a promising building block for the sustainable transformation of our food systems.
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EGU25 in Vienna
EGU2025 in Vienna
Arthur Groß and Ryan Pearson presented their current findings on biochar’s effect on soil physico-chemistry, as well as biochar transport processes in soil at the EGU25 in Vienna in April 2025.
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MyDiv field work in Bad Lauchstädt
The next phase of the MyDiv project on mycorrhizal fungi was kicked off on the long-term field experiment in Bad Lauchstädt together with the research departments from Jena and Leipzig in May 2025.
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Excursion to Gartow and Gorleben
Employees of the department and students sampled down to the subsoil of a long-term field experiment in Lower Saxony in May 2025 to investigate vertical transport processes of biochar.
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Workshop about the “Shaman” of Bad Dürrenberg
Bruno Glaser presented biogeochemical findings about the “Shaman” of Bad Dürrenberg during a workshop in May 2025 with experts from over 30 different fields, which was held at the State Museum for Prehistory.
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TwinSubDyn Summer School in Novi Sad
At the Summer School in Novi Sad, Serbia, young scientists had the opportunity at the beginning of June 2025 to learn about the current findings on organic soil and groundwater amendments, to share their research, and to improve their practical scientific working skill set.
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