Call for Participants: U.S.-German Forum Future Agriculture Project Cohort 2027
Agriculture plays a major role in economies, societies, and the environment globally. The sector faces significant challenges due to global population growth, ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss, energy insecurity, and climate change. Geopolitical events have added stress to supply chains and led to rising investment costs, price volatility, and global trade conflicts. Furthermore, land-use conflicts between agriculture and development, public concerns about animal wellbeing, and chronic labor shortages have compounded the difficulties that farmers face in producing the safe and affordable food that societies demand. These factors have increased pressure on farms and farmers, as the industry already struggles to recruit younger generations and as a rapidly changing field places new demands on established professionals. Identifying new ways to face these challenges is essential.
Both Germany and the United States are central to shaping a more resilient agricultural future. Both countries face similar challenges, and fostering a deeper understanding of diverse agricultural practices and standards is essential to provide joint leadership in shaping the future of agriculture. The U.S.-German Future Forum Agriculture, led by the Aspen Institute Germany in collaboration with implementing partner, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, addresses this need by facilitating dialogue and collaboration between German and U.S. farmers and key stakeholders from research and business. Through the exchange of experiences, the opportunity to visit best practices on-site, and the establishment of new transatlantic networks, this project will promote innovative approaches for the future of agriculture and rural areas.
2027 Cohort Focus
We are accepting applications on a rolling basis until October 15 from farmers and other key agricultural stakeholders living in the U.S. or Germany to apply to be a part of this unique transatlantic dialogue during the fifth program year in 2027. In addition to the fundamental social, economic, and political importance of agriculture for rural regions, this fifth cohort will focus in particular on the core topic of the labor market in fruit and vegetable production.
Changes in labor markets pose significant challenges for agriculture on both sides of the Atlantic. Demographic change, migration from rural areas, and competition with other sectors make it increasingly difficult for many farms to recruit and retain enough qualified and motivated workers. At the same time, many family farms are approaching a generational transition. High start-up costs, physically demanding work, and more attractive pay or benefits in other sectors can discourage younger people from pursuing careers in agriculture.
Fruit and vegetable production is particularly affected by these developments. Many activities—from planting and crop maintenance to harvesting, sorting, and packaging—continue to require considerable manual and specialized labor. The seasonal nature and limited shelf life of many products also create sharp peaks in labor demand. In addition, the diversity of crops and varieties requires different skills and experience. If farms cannot find enough workers during critical periods, harvests—and ultimately the economic viability of their operations—may be at risk.
Seasonal and migrant workers play a particularly important role. In Germany, more than half of the non-family agricultural workforce was employed seasonally in 2023. Fruit and vegetable farms in the United States also depend heavily on foreign and seasonal workers. Changes in immigration and employment policies, rising labor costs, and legal, administrative, and language barriers can make reliable workforce planning more difficult. The central challenge is how to create workable conditions for farms while ensuring fair, safe, and attractive employment for agricultural workers.
Mechanization, automation, and digitalization are also transforming agricultural work. New technologies can reduce physically demanding tasks, improve efficiency, and help farms address labor shortages. Their development and adoption are particularly challenging in fruit and vegetable production, however. Many crops are delicate, production processes vary considerably, and available technologies may not be economically viable for every farm or operation. Technological change also creates new skill requirements. Education and training programs must therefore prepare workers for changing technical and operational demands while highlighting the wide range of career opportunities available in the sector.
Germany and the United States face many of the same pressures but have developed different approaches to seasonal employment, labor migration, vocational education, and technological innovation. The transatlantic exchange will allow participants to compare these approaches, identify practices that can be adapted to different regional and institutional settings, and jointly develop concrete recommendations for a resilient and sustainable labor market in fruit and vegetable production.
The 2027 cohort will therefore focus on the following questions:
- How can the fruit and vegetable sector recruit and retain qualified and motivated workers?
- How can reliable frameworks for seasonal employment and labor migration be combined with fair and attractive working conditions?
- How can mechanization, automation, and digital technologies support agricultural workers and make production processes more efficient?
- What education and training programs are needed to prepare workers for changing technical and operational requirements?
- How can younger generations be encouraged to pursue careers in fruit and vegetable production, and how can farms be supported through generational transitions?
Program Outline and Benefits of Participation
To explore these questions, the project will give participants the opportunity to engage with international peers and other leaders in the field and shape the transatlantic dialogue on agriculture during in-person and virtual programming, to include:
- Approximately 10-12 Interactive virtual workshops between February and June 2027 (approximately 15-20 hours total). Meetings are closed to the public and follow Chatham House Rules to encourage open dialogue and a private setting.
- Two 3.5-day in-person meetings (not including travel time) in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, from April 5–9, 2027, and Davis, California, USA, from May 18–22, 2027.
- Collaboration on a joint publication of recommendations to be released in August/September 2027
- A virtual closing conference in September 2027
During the program, participants will learn more about agricultural practices and policies in each other’s countries, conduct site visits to see best practices and innovative solutions on the ground, and explore opportunities for transatlantic collaboration. Participants are expected to actively and consistently contribute to the development of concrete policy recommendations for the national and transatlantic levels, which will be published and presented in a final closing event. Costs for participation (travel, accommodation, meals) will be covered by the project.
Eligibility
Applicants for this exchange program must:
- be active farmers and/or work in agriculture-related business, research, etc.
- have at least 3 years of experience in the field of agriculture
- be able to actively participate in all components of the virtual and in-person exchange
- be able to participate in the development and publication of recommendations in the form of a publication and a final event
- have an interest in animal health and wellbeing in pig and poultry farming
- have an interest in supporting agriculture and agricultural producers
- have sufficient knowledge of English
- applicants must be living and working in Germany or the United States
Application Process
To apply, please complete the application until October 15. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until then: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/udFMN1b4GM
If you have any questions, you can contact Ferdinand Eimler at eimler@aspeninstitute.de.
Disclaimer: Program components and schedule are subject to change due to changes in travel restrictions.
The project is supported by the Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWE).
