Agricultural economist Qaim: Agriculture must rapidly shift to heat-tolerant crops

Specifically, according to the available sources, Qaim named several building blocks: more heat-tolerant crops such as millet or chickpeas, more diverse crop rotations, smaller intercropping systems, and more precise digital control of irrigation and fertilization. This combination of crop selection and technology is intended to help secure yields even under changed climatic conditions. "Die Landwirtschaft müsse sich zügig anpassen", said Qaim verbatim.

With his demands, the agricultural economist is responding to a development that consumers in Germany have been able to observe for years in food prices and harvest failures. Dry periods and heat waves have repeatedly put the yields of important arable crops under pressure. Qaim holds the position that technological and agronomic innovations are necessary to ensure long-term supply.

Scientific classification

Wissenschaftliche Einordnung

Possible effects on consumers

Qaim conducts research at the Center for Development Research, a facility of the University of Bonn that deals, among other things, with questions of global food security. His argumentation thus follows a broader debate in agricultural economics that focuses on diversifying farming systems. Supporters see this as a way to spread risks and reduce dependence on a few crop species.

Technological building blocks of adaptation

Mögliche Auswirkungen auf Verbraucherinnen und Verbraucher

Open questions and further research needs

Should more farms in Germany and Europe opt for millet, chickpeas, or similar crops, this could change the range of products available in food retail. In addition, digital irrigation and fertilization systems could help deploy water and fertilizers more precisely, thereby lowering costs. In the longer term, both could affect prices and selection on the shelves.

Technologische Bausteine der Anpassung

In addition to the question of crop varieties, Qaim emphasizes the role of digital control. Sensors, weather data, and automated application of water and fertilizers are intended to make it possible to treat each plot more in line with its needs than before. In research, this approach is often grouped under the term "precision agriculture." It is considered a central lever for using resources more efficiently.

Offene Fragen und weiterer Forschungsbedarf

Which intercropping systems will prevail regionally and how quickly digital technology can be established on a broad scale remains open. Qaim himself speaks of a necessary but demanding transformation. The costs of the transition and acceptance among producers are also likely to influence the change.

The demand from Bonn fits into a large number of statements from science and agribusiness that have pointed to the urgent need for action on climate protection and the adaptation of food production in recent years. The exact pace and the concrete political framework conditions continue to be debated.