Thünen Institute

The Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, as a federal research institute for Rural Areas, Forests and Fishery, plays a central role in scientific research and policy advice in the field of sustainable use of natural resources and the development of rural areas.

The institute strives to find scientifically based answers to complex societal questions, particularly in the areas of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture. It works at the interface of science, politics, and society to achieve the goals of sustainable and ecological land use as well as a competitive agricultural and food economy[1][5].

The Thünen-Institut comprises 15 specialized institutes that bundle interdisciplinary competencies in the fields of natural sciences, technology, and socioeconomics. These institutes collaborate in 19 thematic fields to develop comprehensive solutions for current challenges. The focus areas include:

• Business Administration: Analysis and optimization of agricultural production systems, including the global network agri benchmark, which examines the profitability and efficiency of agricultural enterprises worldwide[2].
• Sustainable Land Use: Development of strategies for adapting to climate change, biodiversity measures, and ecological agriculture[2][5].
• Forestry and Wood Industry: Research on optimal forestry practices and the protection of forests as natural carbon sinks[1][5].
• Fisheries and Aquaculture: Scientific support for fishing projects, including the study of fish health and the development of sustainable fishing techniques[1].

The Thünen-Institut is heavily involved in various sustainability initiatives:

• Climate Protection: Participation in international symposiums and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, such as the AgriGHG-2024 Symposium, and research on CO2 sinks and sources in forests[5].
• Biodiversity: Implementation of projects like F.R.A.N.Z., which tests practical and economically viable biodiversity measures in agricultural enterprises[2].
• International Cooperation: Organization of workshops and conferences, e.g., the Regional Workshop on Food Loss and Waste Prevention in Latin America and the Caribbean, and collaboration with international partners such as Embrapa and FAO[5].

The institute cooperates with over 500 university and non-university research institutions worldwide and is a member of numerous national and international scientific networks. It publishes its research results in scientific journals and makes them available to policymakers, businesses, civil society, and the public in a targeted manner[1].

The Thünen-Institut is named after the German agricultural and economic scientist Johann Heinrich von Thünen, who is considered the founder of agricultural business administration and spatial economic theory. The institute itself was established in 2008 from the merger of three federal research institutions founded after World War II[1][4].

Thus, the Thünen-Institut is a central actor in research and consulting for a sustainable and future-oriented agricultural and food economy as well as for the protection and sustainable use of natural resources.

• 1 - https://www.thuenen.de/de/thuenen-institut/profil
• 2 - https://www.thuenen.de/de/fachinstitute/betriebswirtschaft
• 3 - https://www.milcherzeugerverband-bayern.de/news/news-detail/news/thuenen-institut-aktualisierter-steckbrief-milchkuehe
• 4 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Heinrich_von_Th%C3%BCnen
• 5 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Heinrich_von_Th%C3%BCnen-Institut