How should agriculture in Germany really be structured in the future? (Food from the Field)

Meinke Ostermann, 34 years old, grew up in Lower Saxony, with a varied professional career in agricultural engineering, agriculture and renewable energies. He is involved in honorary positions and has been managing director of an agricultural engineering company since 2023.

His interest in the agriculture of the future motivated him to apply for the Nuffield Scholarship.

Aims of the study:

The central question of Meinke’s study was: “How must arable farming of the future position itself in order to remain sustainable, efficient and technologically advanced?” Particular attention was paid to the topics of mechanical soil cultivation, weed control, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

Travel experiences:

His study trips have taken him through 13 countries, including Canada, New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, the USA, Brazil and Kazakhstan. He visited numerous farms and institutions to gain insights into agricultural methods, challenges and innovations.

Canada and New Zealand: I learned about organic and intensive farming, especially dairy cattle and arable farming.

Indonesia: The focus was on topics such as rice and shrimp production, cattle fattening and the differences in the education system.

Japan and Australia: Here we explored technological development, adaptation to climatic conditions and subsidies for structural change.

USA and Brazil: Intensive insights into monocultures, no-till farming, the use of technology and the challenges posed by price pressure and climate change.

Kazakhstan: The focus here was on dependence on water resources and the political situation.

Challenges and trends in arable farming:

Mechanical tillage: various methods such as plowing, harrowing and harrowing were investigated. The trend is towards flexible and combined systems that are adapted to specific conditions.

Weed control: Purely mechanical solutions are not enough; a combination of chemical, biological and mechanical methods is needed.

Robotics and AI: Autonomous machines and AI offer enormous opportunities, particularly in terms of precision and resource conservation. However, political and regulatory challenges are hampering implementation.

Training: Countries such as Indonesia and Kazakhstan lack advanced training structures, which makes knowledge transfer and technical development more difficult.

Recommendations:

Meinke emphasises the need to make efficient use of favourable climatic regions, promote the exchange of knowledge and develop technologies that are both innovative and easy to use.

Policymakers should create clear framework conditions to enable progress to continue.

Conclusion:

The agriculture of the future must be globally coordinated, resource-conserving and technology-based.

Education and networks such as Nuffield play a crucial role in driving innovation and overcoming challenges such as climate change.