New Study by HCE Members Shows Intermediate Agriculture Can Contribute to Sustainable Farming

A recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal “Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems” examines the benefits of intermediate agriculture, a farming method that cultivates crops without chemical pesticides but without organic certification. The study was conducted by the AgroBioDiv project, which is led by HCE members Prof. Dr. Marcus Koch and Prof. Dr. Jale Tosun. It focuses on the KraichgauKorn farmers' cooperative in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

The cooperative comprises conventional farmers who avoid using pesticides during the growing season for KraichgauKorn cereal grains. The research examines the impact of this farming method on cropland biodiversity and its potential contribution to sustainable agriculture. The study found that intermediate agriculture increased weed species biodiversity compared to conventional fields, but lower levels of biodiversity than organic fields. The researchers also found more endangered wild species on KraichgauKorn fields than conventional fields, with organic fields exhibiting the highest presence of endangered flora.

The open access papers, “Intermediate Agriculture and Biodiversity: Insights from the AgroBioDiv Project,” is available via the following link: To the publication