Faculty of Agricultural, Nutritional and Engineering Sciences

As one of two internationally renowned experts, Susanne Glaser, Professor for Space Geodesy, was invited by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) to visit Tokyo and Tsukuba from 12 to 18 September 2026. The purpose of the visit was to further strengthen the exchange of knowledge and international cooperation in the field of geodesy. Geodesy is concerned with measuring and monitoring of the Earth, today primarily using satellite techniques such as the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

The world’s oceans behave like a thermometer: As the water warms, it expands and sea levels rise. Geodesy researchers at the University of Bonn are able to measure this and determine how much the oceans are warming. For individual ocean basins, their method has revealed significant deviations from model calculations—in some cases in the double-digit percentage range.

During the 8th African Conference of Agricultural Economists, which was held from 22-25 September 2026 in Nairobi, Matin Qaim was recognized as Honorary Fellow of the African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE). Qaim is Schlegel-Professor of Economic and Technological Change at the University of Bonn’s Faculty of Agricultural, Nutritional and Engineering Science and Executive Director at the Center for Development Research (ZEF).

The former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro contributed to deforestation with statements opposing forest conservation. This is shown by an international study led by the University of Bonn. According to this, the destruction of the Amazon rainforest accelerated considerably when Bolsonaro and his ministers posted anti-forest-conservation messages on Twitter. Brazil’s environmental authorities were greatly weakened during Bolsonaro’s term of office. Irrespective of this, the analysis shows that even the perception of a low risk of punishment was a relevant driver of deforestation. The researchers estimate that up to 1,700 square kilometers of forest – almost double the area of Berlin – were destroyed due to the power of words. The results have been published in The Journal of Politics.

During the heatwave of 2018, meadows and pastures also suffered from the drought. Are grasslands in diverse landscapes more resilient to yield losses than those in monotonous regions? Researchers at the University of Bonn led by Marco Ferro and Prof. Dr. Jan Börner from the Institute for Food and Resource Economics (ILR) investigated the influence of landscape diversity on the drought tolerance of grasslands as part of Collaborative Research Center 1502 DETECT.

How can living lab research be structured to effectively contribute to the long-term transformation of agricultural and food systems? In order to share experience and expertise more effectively in this rapidly expanding research field, nine institutions have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a nationwide alliance for living labs research in agriculture and food systems. The participating institutions presented the joint initiative on 24 September at an event organised by the Innovation Centre for Agricultural System Transformations (IAT) in Giessen. The alliance is expected to be formally established before the end of the year.

Prof. Dr. Denise Fischer-Kreer received an award from UNIPRENEURS for her exceptional dedication to spin-offs and entrepreneurship. The professor for Entrepreneurial Behaviour at the Institute of Entrepreneurship, University of Bonn, was honored for her work promoting entrepreneurship within higher education and research in Germany, along with 19 other professors. The award ceremony took place in Berlin.

The European Space Agency’s FLEX mission marks the beginning of a new era of plant research from space. The satellite, which was specifically developed to observe photosynthesis, will track how plants react to drought, heat, and other environmental stresses. The insights could help to develop climate-resilient agriculture, better protect natural ecosystems, and increase food security in the long term. Forschungszentrum Jülich operates the German FLEX project office, contributes its scientific expertise to the mission, and supports researchers in using the freely available satellite data.