IGA 2027 International Future Conferences

How can agriculture feed a growing population while protecting our climate, biodiversity, and natural resources?

The German initiative Agricultural Systems of the Future (Agrarsysteme der Zukunft) is addressing this challenge by developing innovative, science-based solutions for tomorrow’s farming and food systems. Bringing together researchers, industry partners, and stakeholders from across society, the initiative explores new technologies, circular production models, and sustainable management practices to create resilient agricultural systems for future generations

The session will be led by Ramona Bruck, Project Manager for Agricultural Systems of the Future at the Leibniz Institute for Horticultural Sciences (IGZ). She works at the interface of research, innovation, and science communication, helping to connect pioneering agricultural research with real-world solutions for a more sustainable food future.

Rooted in Soil: Farming as the Key to Our Time's Crises

Climate change, biodiversity loss and soil degradation are three interlinked crises that threaten our very existence – and they all converge in agriculture. It's clear, the way we produce food and farm must change. Benedikt Bösel makes the case that the path through today's ecological and economic crises starts in the soil. Drawing on years of hands-on research in his living lab, he shows why farming isn't just part of the problem — it's one of our most powerful tools for change.

Agroecology: The Future of Food Systems

Agroecology combines traditional knowledge with modern science to create resilient farming systems that work with nature, protect biodiversity, and strengthen food security. It offers a sustainable response to climate change and resource scarcity, while supporting farmers as key innovators in the transition toward a more sustainable food future.

17 Years of Intensive No-Till Market Garden Production: How’s it Going?

For 17 years, Elizabeth Kaiser and her husband Paul have been operating the intensive, fully no-till, Singing Frogs Farm after two years of full tractor tillage. We continue to produce nutrient dense veggies year-round for over 200 CSA members, 3 farmers markets and a few restaurants off 1 hectare of land in Northern California. We’re small but mighty and we believe small farms have much to offer.

We will address the long term lessons of what’s worked and where we’re still learning. The amount of compost application: can you leach nutrients, Phosphorous accumulation, cost and maintenance. Cover crop utilization and no-till termination are more recently additions to our operations and we’ve had success experimenting with summer cover crops plus the last two years we trialed continuous clover cover under Brassicas. Production has had ebbs and flows over the years with the human interplay as we transitioned from creative establishment to collaborative maintenance. People are the key, but how many? Robust ecology both above and below ground is the pillar we rely on for pest management and helps ensure plant health and proven high nutrient density.

Dr. Samantha Ruppel is a political scientist, moderator, and trainer specializing in international cooperation. As a co-founder of FEIN Research & Consulting and executive director of the Working Group for Peace and Conflict Research, she combines academic expertise with a strong practical focus, which she also brings to her work as a moderator.

Shaping just, inclusive, and sustainable societies has defined her work for many years. This theme is also central to the IGA 2027 and is particularly close to her heart.

Dr. Ruppel regularly moderates national and international events, participatory processes, digital conferences, and workshops. Her moderation style is creative, calm, and solution-oriented. Even in complex situations, she maintains a clear overview, works in a structured manner, and contributes her own ideas.

She places particular emphasis on genuine participation and the creation of inclusive spaces for exchange, both in person and online. Her goal is not only to ensure that events run smoothly but also to foster lively discussions and substantive depth.