NEWS
Since 17.05.2024: Deputy chairperson (2-year term) of the examination board of the Master program in 'International Security Studies', offered jointly by the UniBw M and the George C. Marshall European Center (GCMC).
Since 01.10.2019: Internship Officer of the Department of Social Sciences and Public Affairs. Internship applications as well as internship reports are to be submitted to Ms. Barbara Schmidt, Building 33, Room 3171.
Since 10.12.2021: Member of the Committee for Individual Scholarships in Germany of Brot für die Welt.
Since 22.09.2022: Chair (4-year term) of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO).
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NEW research project entitled "Climate-resilient, water-efficient and sustainable agricultural and food systems" (LIFE) - coordinated by Dr. Maria Rita Palattella at Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
Program: Green Era Hub (ID: 103)
Theme: Improving fertilizer efficiency and reducing fertilizer use
BMBF Funding ID: 031B1513
Duration: 01.04.2024-31.03.2027
Principal investigator at the UniBw M: Dr. Emmanuel O. Benjamin
Project staff starting in 09.2024: Dr. Oreoluwa OLA
The LIFE project proposes an innovative and multidisciplinary approach to the development of climate-resilient, water-efficient and sustainable agri-food systems. The project addresses theme 1 of the Green Era Hub call (“Improving fertilizer efficiency and reducing fertilizer use”). It aims to contribute to the efficient supply of organic fertilizers by introducing advanced methods for fertilizer production. The focus is on the conversion of animal manure into liquid fertilizer for hydroponic systems. Since the production of fertilizers from animal manure can involve risks and have an unstable nutrient concentration, the project will create a Digital Twin (DT) to control and model the conversion process and the development of the plants in the hydroponic farms. Thanks to the virtual DT representation and the models that simulate the behavior of the physical units, or hydroponic enterprises, it will be possible to improve fertilizer efficiency and maximize crop yields while reducing the use of conventional fertilizers and natural resources such as water.
For the evaluation of the economic viability of hydroponic enterprises (WP5), Partner 3 (UniBw M) will collect qualitative and quantitative data as part of a cost-benefit analysis on economic viability, as well as conduct focus group discussions and Delphi study with hydroponic entrepreneurs, policy makers and other stakeholders.
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Ongoing research project entitled "The role of the status quo bias in the perpetuation of farm work and remaining in situ – exemplified with data from Southeast Europe" (BU 1319/24-1)
Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Duration: 2023-2025
Project leaders: Prof. Dr. Gertrud Buchenrieder (UniBw, München) & Dr. Judith Möllers (IAMO)
Project staff:
Dr. Thomas Dufhues (Senior researcher)
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Ongoing research project entitled "Integrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable city region FOOD systems in Africa"
Funded by Horizon Europe (HE)
Project-ID: 101083790
Duration: 01.01.2023-31.12.2026
Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Gertrud Buchenrieder (UniBw, Munich)
Project staff: Dr. Emmanuel Olatunbosun Benjamin (UniBw, Munich)
INCiTiS-FOOD (Integrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable city region FOOD systems in Africa) is a 4-year project that aims to improve food and nutrition security (FNS) in African city regions and reduce the food-system-related environmental footprint while contributing to circularity. Furthermore, the project will empower communities by opening up opportunities for them in agri-food supply and value chains, and by achieving environmental justice through transformative food policies. This will be achieved through interdisciplinary research, integrated best-fit technologies, stakeholder led action, capacity-building, research-practitioner-policy collaborative engagement, and Europe-Africa partnership.
The INCiTiS-FOOD project will co-create circular agri-food technologies, practices, and business models for an inclusive food system in African cities and towns. The agri-food technologies comprise soilless crop farming (hydroponics), recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), and insect farming. These circular agri-food technologies have been deemed suitable for the context of African cities because they do not require great access to land, water, or wealth.
The project is based on a multi-actor approach, involving 8 Living Labs (LLs) in 6 countries from 3 African regions (East: Kenya; West: Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone; Central: Cameroon, Gabon). The INCiTiS-FOOD project will follow a Lean Start-up Methodology to achieve minimum viable products (MVPs). These MVPs are expected to reach a sufficiently high technological, societal, and business readiness level in 2 years into the 4-year project. The MVPs are further validated in a demonstration phase (800-1000+ start-ups and scalable small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs) on the basis of 2 Open Calls for the Cascade Fund (FSTP: Financial Support to Third Parties). Beneficiaries of the Cascade Fund will be surveyed to generate empirical evidence on the co-benefits of the INCiTiS-FOOD project technologies and business models, which will guide urban food policy roadmaps for African cities.
Find out more about Incitis Food
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Program: Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA)
Thematic Area: WEFE Nexus
Call: 1.4.1-2022 Predicting and testing options of socio-economic adaptation to declining Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) resources in the Mediterranean Region
Type der Action: (IA) Innovation and Action
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New research project entitled "Impact of Climate-Smart and Water-Saving Frontier Agriculture on the WEFE Nexus in Arid Mediterranean Regions" |
Project-ID: 2242-Call 2022 Section 1 Nexus WEFE IA
Duration: 01. May 2023 – 30. April 2026 (3 years)
Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Gertrud Buchenrieder (UniBw M)
Research associate & Co-coordinator: Dr. Wubneshe Desalegen Biru (UniBw M)
The Mediterranean Region is one of the climate change hotspots in the world due to water scarcity and reliance on climate-sensitive agriculture. Thus, boosting climate change adaptation and mitigation through actions and innovations that reduce pressure on the water, energy, food, and ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus, including biodiversity is paramount. FrontAg Nexus responds to this challenge by identifying sustainable frontier agriculture production systems that increase regional food and nutrition security and conserve the environment. Furthermore, factors that foster the adoption of an integrated resource-management approach, considering the interconnections of the WEFE Nexus and the growing population in the Region will be analysed.
FrontAg Nexus follows a WEFE Nexus thinking and a multi-actor approach, involving 6 Mediterranean countries (Greece, Italy, Israel Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey) as well as one of the world’s driest countries, Jordan. FrontAg Nexus contributes to the community of practice by identifying, incorporating and sharing frontier agricultural solutions. Frontier agriculture comprises climate-smart and water-saving technologies such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and insect farming (BSF: Black Soldier Fly larvae breeding), whose energy efficiency can be increased through agrophotovoltaic. These frontier agricultural solutions are the basis for socio-innovative adaptation experiments (i.e., demonstration cases) because they require limited arable land, water, energy, or wealth and reduce organic waste.
FrontAg Nexus will show that frontier agriculture improves livelihood security by delivering safe and nutritious food and reducing rural-urban migration linked to local resource scarcity. Frontier agriculture is also suitable for urban, refugee, and Bedouin communities. Capacity-development activities will take place at the producer and policy level. At the producer level, this will be done by showcasing positive experiences and establishing a communities-supporting-communities collaboration. At the policy level, FrontAg Nexus will demonstrate how integrating frontier agriculture into the Nexus approach improves not only the environmental but also the socio-economic situation of all stakeholders. FrontAg Nexus guides production and policy transformation in the Mediterranean Region by adhering to the EU Taxonomy Regulation.
Find out more about FontAg Nexus
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Teaching Focus
In the bachelor program, the focus is on teaching basic economic theories. A central question is how government interventions in a market economy can be justified from a welfare economics perspective. Another teaching area is on international economic issues, whereby economic integration is addressed on the one hand globally and on the other hand at the level of the European Union.
Furthermore, theoretical connections between various aspects of human insecurity and sustainable development are taught, using case studies from sub-Saharan Africa, among others, for illustration.
In the Master of Security Studies, which is offered jointly by the Universität der Bundeswehr München and the George C. Marshall European Center for Securities Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the module "Security and Development" introduces students to the socio-economic interrelationships of socio-economic development on the basis of the concept of human security, i.e. with a view to freedom from want and fear.