Soil, water, biodiversity and air: these are the natural resources on which agriculture is based. They provide our food as well as drinking water, renewable energy and help to recycle nutrients from organic waste. Careful use of these resources is becoming more and more important, as the needs of the world’s growing population are increasing at the same time as fossil energy, mineral phosphorus fertilisers, clean water and fertile soils are becoming scarce. Climate change and pollutants pose additional challenges.

Therefore, we examine the state of environmental resources and provide the scientific base to understand current changes in agricultural systems. We investigate the impact of agricultural management and climate change on natural resources and determine their limits of regeneration. From our findings, we elaborate recommendations for sustainable and multifunctional agriculture.

By means of experimental studies and long-term monitoring, we measure important parameters in the environment. We use long-standing data series to record changes, and develop models to answer current questions.