Harald von Witzke, advisory board member at agripol, and Steffen Noleppa, managing director of HFFA Research, have contributed a chapter to the recently published book Creating Sustainable Bioeconomies – The bioscience revolution in Europe and Africa, edited by Ivar Virgin, and E. Jane Morris.

The collective volume offers a multidimensional analysis of the changing conditions in agricultural production and their impact on the environment and global markets for bio-resources. Above all, the book presents a wide array of research tackling the challenge of meeting rising global demand for agricultural goods without compromising the production environment for future generations.

The article by von Witzke and Noleppa is titled “A European perspective – The case for a highly productive and innovative agriculture in Europe“ and outlines the importance of productivity growth for the European agricultural sector and its contribution to sustainable food security in a globalized world. Analyzing the economic effects, the authors illustrate the challenge of stagnating efficiency in agricultural production in an environment where, on the one hand, additional arable land is increasingly scarce and input factors continue to become more expensive, while, on the other hand, gains in population and standards of living result in a worldwide increase in demand for food. Looking at environmental effects, the positive impact of increasing productivity in agricultural production on climate and biodiversity is stated: If existing agricultural land delivers higher net yields, additional acreage must be expanded less intensively and natural habitats can be preserved.

More information can be found on the Routledge Website.