Third-party funded projects

  • Interrelations between refugee and host communities in rural Zambia: A dynamic agent-based modeling application
    The research project focuses on a refugee camp in rural Zambia, where considerable refugee influxes from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo are arriving. The core goal of the project is to investigate the interrelations between refugee and host communities in rural Zambia in the context of the rising number of refugee movements and the corresponding challenge to create long-term solutions.
    Led by: Dr. Steven Gronau
    Team: Dr. Steven Gronau, M.Sc. Brigitte Ruesink
    Year: 2020
    Funding: Leibniz Young Investigator Grant of the Leibniz University Hannover
    Duration: 01.07.2020 – 30.06.2022
    © Steven Gronau
  • Drivers of Change: Understanding the Process of Complex Technology Adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa
    The research focuses on the multi-dimensional process of technology adoption in small-scale farming households. Primary data from two agroforestry projects in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia are collected. Key research aspects include the identification of determinants of the adoption process of complex agroforestry technologies and the analysis of specific incentives regarding the promotion of innovations. Further, small-scale farmers’ aspirations and their respective impact on the adoption behavior will be analyzed.
    Team: M. Sc. Luzia Deißler, Prof. Dr. Ulrike Grote, Dr. Kai Mausch
    Year: 2021
    Funding: Council for Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural Research (ATSAF), World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
    Duration: 01.04.2021 - 01.03.2025
  • Hydrogen in sustainable aviation: Macroeconomic impacts and state intervention
    Germany needs alternatives to fossil fuels to realize the energy transition and climate targets 2050. Hydrogen represents a promising pathway. The momentum of a hydrogen economy affects the aviation sector. The objective of the project is a macroeconomic assessment of the hydrogen transition in Germany and its impacts on aviation. It aims to design a macroeconomic simulation model.
    Led by: Dr. Steven Gronau
    Team: Dr. Steven Gronau, M.Sc. Tobias Müller, B.Sc. Manuel Ehmann & B.Sc. Caroline Schwechheimer (Research Assistant)
    Year: 2021
    Funding: DFG Exzellenzcluster “SE²A – Sustainable and Energy Efficient Aviation”
    Duration: 01.12.2021-31.12.2023
  • Welfare Impacts of Sustainable Intensification Technologies in Smallholder Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems of the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Basin
    This research project evaluates the drivers and impacts of sustainable intensification (SI) technology adoption by smallholder farmers in the rice-wheat cropping systems of the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Basin (EIGB).
    Led by: PD Dr. Trung Thanh Nguyen
    Team: PD Dr. Trung Thanh Nguyen, Gokul P. Paudel, Dr. Jordan Chamberlin, Dr. Peter Craufurd
    Year: 2021
    Funding: Council for Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural Research (ATSAF), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
    Duration: 01.04.2021 – 01.03.2024
  • Tanzanian Socio Economic Panel Project (TASEP)
    TASEP stands for “Tanzanian Socio Economic Panel”. The aim of this research project is to better understand the welfare and nutritional situation of the rural population of Tanzania, the entrepreneurial activities of households and the life satisfaction and resilience of the local people. In addition, the project aims to shed light on the local effects of different types of shocks and the coping strategies used by the rural population, as well as to map long-term rural developments in developing rural regions characterized by extreme poverty.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Ulrike Grote, Prof. Dr. Anja Faße, Prof. Dr. Christiana Weber
    Team: Prof. Dr. Ulrike Grote, Brigitte Ruesink, Eva Seewald
    Year: 2021
    Duration: since 2021
  • More resilience through digitalization? Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marketing and online trade in the agri-food system.
    The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility as well as underlying supply chain problems within the agricultural sector. In addition, it has led to many challenges, but also to new opportunities – resulting in corresponding adjustments in agricultural businesses. However, it remains unclear whether digitization is being driven as a result of the pandemic, whether marketing concepts are being adapted, and to what extent these changes are affecting farm resilience. The analysis is based on a three-stage resilience concept and primary data from an online survey of German farmers conducted in late 2021 to mid-2022.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Ulrike Grote
    Team: Prof. Dr. Ulrike Grote, Robyn Blake-Rath
    Year: 2022
    Funding: Edmund Rehwinkel-Stiftung der Landwirtschaftlichen Rentenbank
    Duration: 01.03.2021 - 31.11.2022
  • HyNEAT - Hydrogen Supply Networks‘ Evolution for Air Transport
    Larger commercial aircraft powered by green H2 are a promising alternative for more climate-friendly aviation. The use of H2 can only contribute to climate protection if it is produced from renewable energy sources. In addition to the need to develop new propulsion systems and aircraft concepts, one of the greatest challenges is the deployment of a corresponding green and liquid H2 infrastructure that enables competitive costs for the operation of such aircraft.
    Led by: Dr. Etti Winter
    Team: M. Sc. Tobias Müller, Malte Gerberding
    Year: 2023
    Funding: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
  • Diversifizierung mit Hilfe von Agroforstsystemen: Wie gelingt in Deutschland der Wandel zu mehr Resilienz?
    Diversifizierte Landwirtschaftssysteme wie Agroforstsysteme gewinnen in den letzten Jahren wieder zunehmend an Bedeutung. Allerdings sind sie in Deutschland bisher kaum etabliert. Während viele Vorteile dieser Systeme für den Klimaschutz, den Erhalt der Biodiversität oder die Ernährungssicherung längst bekannt sind, stellt sich die Frage, warum nicht mehr Agroforstsysteme implementiert werden. Sind die Investitions- und Managementkosten zu hoch? Oder fehlt einfach das Wissen über Agroforstsysteme? Und tragen Agroforstsysteme in der Praxis wirklich dazu bei, landwirtschaftliche Unternehmen resilienter zu machen, indem sie deren Widerstands- und Anpassungsfähigkeit bei der Bewältigung von Krisen wie Dürren oder Überschwemmungen erhöhen? Vor dem Hintergrund der positiven Umwelt- und Klimaeffekte stellt sich die Frage, wie die Implementierung von Agroforstsystemen durch landwirtschaftliche Unternehmen konkret gefördert und umgesetzt werden kann. Hauptziel dieser Analyse ist es daher, praxisnahe Handlungsempfehlungen zur Förderung von Adoption und Erhalt von Agroforstsystemen zu erarbeiten. Die Studie umfasst zunächst eine systematische Literaturrecherche zur Erfassung des Status Quo zu Agroforstsystemen in Deutschland. Darauf aufbauend sollen Fokusgruppendiskussionen mit LandwirtInnen helfen, die Stärken, Schwächen, Chancen und Risiken von Agroforstsystemen zu erfassen. Darüber hinaus wird im Rahmen einer Online-Befragung von LandwirtInnen, der Wissensstand und die Einstellungen gegenüber Agroforstsystemen sowie Barrieren und Treiber bezüglich der Implementierung und dem Erhalt von Agroforstsystemen erfasst.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Ulrike Grote
    Team: Prof. Dr. Ulrike Grote, Privatdozent Dr. Trung Thanh Nguyen, Robyn Blake-Rath, Ronja Seegers
    Year: 2023
    Funding: Edmund Rehwinkel-Stiftung der Landwirtschaftlichen Rentenbank
    Duration: 01.07.2023 – 31.07.2024

Archived

  • Environmental Change and Forced Migration Scenarios (EACH-FOR)
    Forced migration is a movement in which an element of coercion exists, including threats to life and livelihood, whether arising from natural or man-made causes (e.g. movements of refugees and internally displaced persons). The changes of natural and man-made environment will probably be the most significant factors among the causes of forced migration. It is essential to get accurate information about the current and future triggers of forced migration in each country of origin and within Europe itself. The two year long project's general objectives are to support European policies, research and the civil society with'forced migration' scenarios, and cooperate with other migration and environment degradation related projects and institutions.
    Year: 2007
  • The role of certification of wild coffee as an incentive for the conservation and sustainable use of coffee forests in the montane rainforests of Ethiopia (COCE II)
    In the context of the project "Conservation and use of the wild populations of Coffea arabica in the montane rainforests in Ethiopia (CoCE II)", the overall objective of this subproject is to evaluate the role of certification of economic activities and marketable products as a fundamental incentive for the conservation and sustainable use of the coffee forests.
    Year: 2007
  • Potential product markets for niche, high value and gourmet bananas exemplified
    Profiling supply chains and identification of opportunities for marketing banana and plantain and key allies in reaching potential markets. Identifying strategies and models for added value through labeling, certification and niche and high quality markets. Characterization of special nutritional or food properties of agroforest Musa and processed products.
    Year: 2009
  • The Impacts of Forest Coffee Certification Schemes on socio-economic Sustainability: Case studies from Ethiopia, India, and Nicaragua (COFEIN)
    The broad objective of this project is to measure the livelihood impacts of different forest coffee certification schemes on poverty and vulnerability to poverty of smallholder coffee producers in Ethiopia, India, and Nicaragua.
    Year: 2009
  • Environmental Change and its Implications for Population Migration: Evidence from India and Vietnam
    The broad objective of the research project is to identify, analyze, and address the factors that induce migration through their negative effect on agricultural and rural development in order to improve the livelihood of rural people in the light of environmental change in India and Vietnam
    Year: 2010
  • Impact of shocks on the vulnerability to poverty: consequences for development of emerging Southeast Asian economies. Teilprojekt TP 03 "The capacity of agriculture to adjust to economic crisis and environmental shocks in Thailand and Vietnam"
    Main Targets of this project: Investigating the changing role of agriculture before and after economic crisis in Thailand. Analyzing the capacity of agriculture to adjust to environmental shocks in Vietnam. Comparing and assessing the structural adjustment processes in agriculture in Thailand and Vietnam in view of economic crisis and environmental change. Contribute to advancing the vulnerability concepts by incorporating agricultural household decision models. Advance the concept of risk measurement.
    Year: 2010
  • Internationale Märkte für zertifizierte Schutzleistungen: Evaluierung internationaler Finanzierungsleistungen und deren sozioökonomische Implikationen am Beispiel Feuchtgebiete von internationaler Bedeutung (CERPA)
    The goal of the CERPA research project is to evaluate the practicability of international markets for protected area certificates, hence to investigate innovative combinations of ‘protected area approaches’ and ‘PES approaches’. To archive this, it will be tested which role market-based instruments can have within a multi-level governance system, and which institutional changes are required for their introduction, maintenance and integrity.
    Year: 2011
  • Assessment of Certification Systems at Farmer and Trade Levels for Horticultural Products in Thailand (WeGa Subproject 3.9)
    The aim of the project are the following 4 points: To explore opportunities and barriers for developing countries (i.e. Thailand) to enter the European flower and specialized fruit markets. To identify and analyze value chains for selected cut flower and tropical fruit. To identify determinants of adopting certification programs by producers. To assess the role of certification on producer’s welfare, environmental and social aspects
    Year: 2011
  • Assessing the direct and induced impacts of biofuel value chain activities at small-scale and village level for domestic and export biofuel value chains
    The objective of this project is to analyze small-scale farmers’ integration into international and domestic biofuel value chains and to assess its impacts on village economy and the environment.
    Year: 2012
  • South African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Use (SASSCAL)
    Research projects related to the proposed topic "Sustainable land management under conditions of climate change and land degradation in the arid, semi-arid and sub-humid central southern Africa" are being developed in the context of the BMBF-financed initiative Regional Science Service Centre (RSSC) in the southern African sub-region (Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia).
    Year: 2012
    Duration: 2012 - 2016
  • Unravelling the Potential of Neglected Crop Diversity for High-Value Product Differentiation and Income Generation for the Poor: The Case of Chili Pepper (Capsicum spp.) in its Centre of Origin
    The project aimed to develop knowledge and test innovative approaches to enhance the use of native and neglected genetic diversity in order to increase the income of poor farmers and provide for more diversified and sustainable production of native chili pepper varieties in Peru and Bolivia.
    Year: 2012
  • Trans-SEC - Innovating Strategies to safeguard Food Security using Technology and Knowledge Transfer: A people-centered Approach.
    Trans-SEC is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the funding initiative “Securing th e Global Food Supply – GlobE” and embedded in the framework program “National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030”. Seven German research institutes, two CGIAR research centres from Kenya and the USA as well as five Tanzanian institutes are involved in Trans-SEC. Approximately 70 scientists and non-governmental professionals are involved. The coordinator of the project is the Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF). The objective of the collaborative research project Trans-SEC is to improve the food situation for the most vulnerable rural poor population in Tanzania. This project is designed to identify successful food securing upgrading strategies and/or innovations along local and regional food value chains, test and adjust them to site-specific sustainable settings, and tailor these concepts to be disseminated for national outreach. After the project lifetime, the results can be implemented at different levels of policy, extension and research. The IUW coordinates work package 3: Food Value Chains and Risk Analysis
    Year: 2013
    Duration: 2013 - 2018
  • HORTINLEA (Horticultural Innovations and Learning for Improved Nutrition and Livelihoods in East Africa) - DIVERSIFYING FOOD SYSTEMS
    More than 20 African, German and international partner organizations collaborate to improve food security and livelihoods in East Africa. This joint research initiative funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the context of the program "GlobE - Global Food Security" is under the aegis of the Humboldt University Berlin (Prof. Bokelmann). The IUW is involved in two subprojects: Poverty, vulnerability and coping of vegetable producers and consumers in rural and urban areas of East Africa (subproject 9). Elaborating value chain strategies for indigenous vegetables (subproject 12)
    Year: 2013
    Duration: 2013 - 2018
  • NEDS - Nachhaltige Energieversorgung Niedersachsen
    This interdisciplinary project searches for a sustainable way to implement Niedersachsen's energy transition. For this purpose, it constructs and analyzes a detailed numerical economic model. The project is funded by the Volkswagen-Stiftung and Niedersachsen's Ministry for Science and Culture for four years.
    Year: 2015
    Duration: 2015-2019
  • Food Security in rural Zambia (FOSEZA)
    As the hotspots of hunger are in Sub-Saharan Africa, poverty and malnutrition also severely affect Zambia’s rural population. To promote food security in the country, foreign organisations, alongside the Zambian government, carry out development and research projects.
    Led by: Dr. Etti Winter
    Team: Dr. Etti Winter, Dr. Steven Gronau, Ronja Seegers
    Year: 2016
    Funding: Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL); project executing agency: Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE)
    Duration: 01.11.2016 – 31.12.2020
    © Johannes Hadersdorfer/TUM

Third-party funded projects - DFG funded

  • Poverty dynamics and sustainable development: A long term panel project in Thailand and Vietnam - Thailand Vietnam Socio Economic Panel (TVSEP)
    The objective of this project is to extend the panel household surveys in Thailand and Vietnam for another 9 years (6 waves of rural household and two waves for migrant surveys) to generate a much deeper understanding of income and poverty dynamics in rural areas of rapidly changing emerging economies.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 2018 - 2027 (3rd phase of the long-term project)