How can German agriculture become more sustainable and more resilient to external pressures? In a new position paper, the DFG’s Permanent Senate Commission on the Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems (SKAE) calls for greater political efforts to promote diversified cropping systems for arable crops. The Commission emphasises that long-term research programmes and adapted policy frameworks are essential to assess the impacts of diversified systems and to support evidence-based decision-making. Established in 2024, SKAE is the most recently initiated of the DFG’s permanent Senate commissions. The current publication represents its first official position statement.

Over recent decades, crop production in Germany has increasingly relied on highly specialised, low-diversity systems. One prominent example is monoculture, in which a single crop species is grown over large areas, either at short intervals (in the case of annual crops) or continuously over several years (in the case of perennial crops). Monocultures have contributed to substantial yield increases but are also associated with significant ecological and economic risks. These systems show limited adaptability to climate change, contribute to biodiversity loss, and depend heavily on plant protection products and global supply chains.

The Commission advocates diversified cropping systems as a viable alternative. One example is extended crop rotation. This is an agricultural practice in which different crops are grown on the same field over longer intervals, rather than repeatedly planting the same crop in consecutive seasons. All these practices can improve soil quality, reduce pest and disease pressure, and enhance overall system resilience.
“Climate change, declining biodiversity and increasing volatility in global markets make a fundamental transformation of agricultural systems unavoidable,” said Katja Becker, President of the DFG. “Diversified cropping systems combine established agricultural practice with innovative approaches and represent a key element for further development of agricultural and food systems in the tension between tradition and future visions.”
According to the Commission, there is a substantial need for systematic research on diversified cropping systems, particularly with regard to yield stability, technology, ecological functions, economic viability and social acceptance. Long-term, interdisciplinary studies are considered essential to adequately capture these complex effects. “Research can help overcome knowledge gaps, cultural barriers and market obstacles,” said Professor Dr. Annette Reineke of Geisenheim University, who chairs the SKAE working group responsible for the position paper.
Despite their potential benefits and existing incentives within the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy, diversified cropping systems have so far seen limited adoption in Germany. In practise, farmers face numerous obstacles, including insufficient value chains, inadequate economic incentives, high initial investment costs, and uncertainty regarding agronomic and economic performance. Additional challenges arise from a lack of suitable machinery and the absence of region-specific implementation strategies. The researchers therefore see an urgent need for coordinated political action to improve incentive structures, develop new value chains and integrate regional specificities.
The Commission identifies six thematic areas that are central to a successful transition towards more resilient and sustainable cropping systems:
Breeding: According to the Commission, the development of new robust and site-adapted varieties is essential for alternative and mixed cropping systems. These include regionally adapted crops (such as einkorn and emmer), new cereals (such as sorghum), pseudocereals (quinoa, amaranth) and grain legumes (chickpea, lentil, soybean), which may be better adapted to climate change and for which markets already exist in Germany.

Integrated systems: Agroforestry, perennial crops and closer integration of arable farming with livestock production can improve soil fertility, biodiversity and yield stability.
Environmental, resource and climate protection: Diversified agriculture can also contribute significantly to ecological functions, help reduce the use of fertilisers and plant protection products, and increase climate resilience.
Resilience of agriculture: Greater regional diversity can reduce reliance on global markets, strengthens food security and stabilises regional value creation.
Technological innovation and digitalisation: Robotics, artificial intelligence and digital tools can enable precise, small-scale management and support the implementation of diverse cropping structures.
Cost-benefit analysis: Economic and ecological impacts must be evaluated on a site-specific basis, as sustainable and high-performing diversification has practical limits.
“The overarching goal is to achieve an adaptive cropping system that ensures long-term resilience in food supply while maintaining ecological sustainability,” says Professor Dr. Doris Vetterlein of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Chair of the Senate Commission. “Research, policymakers and market stakeholders are now called upon to act. Only through coordinated efforts will it be possible to achieve a transition toward a more resilient, sustainable, and future-proof agriculture.”
The Permanent Senate Commission on the Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems
The Senate Commission was established by the DFG Senate on 1 January 2024. The focus of the Permanent Senate Commission on the Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems (SKAE) is to advise various target groups including politics, academia and society at large on developments related to ongoing transformations in agricultural and food systems. The Commission currently comprises 18 members from different disciplines within the agricultural and food sciences and related fields, as well as permanent guests from various German research institutions.

Further Information

To the position paper

To the Senate Commission