GIZ Rural Development Working Group meets at IAK

On Jun 20, 2023, IAK Agrar Consulting GmbH hosted the 101st meeting of the GIZ Rural Development Expert Working Group (FAK). In the context of the current cycle theme of climate, the members of the FAK, where German development cooperation consultancies and GIZ have been meeting regularly since 1995, this time dealt with bioeconomy and soil health.

An internal FAK meeting in the morning was followed by two expert presentations: Dr. Bartosz Bartkowski from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ spoke on carbon farming and humus certificates. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Daniela Thrän, Head of the Bioenergy Department (BEN) at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ and Head of Bioenergy Systems (BS Division) at the German Biomass Research Centre – DBFZ was virtually connected and spoke about current developments in the bioeconomy.

In order to also learn about relevant developments on site, the afternoon was spent in the field at the Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF) in Bad Lauchstädt, a research facility of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ. Dr. Thomas Reitz showed the participants of the FAK the different experimental fields of the station, some of which are over 120 years old, and discussed with them a wide variety of research results.

The next meeting of the FAK will take place in October 2023 at the GIZ in Eschborn.