Call for Applications: U.S.-German Forum Future Agriculture 2025 Cohort
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 welfare, 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; an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable agriculture can play a significant role in protecting natural resources, preserving biodiversity, and mitigating climate change, while ensuring the future prosperity of rural areas.
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.
2025 Cohort Focus
We are accepting applications on a rolling basis until October 15, 2024, 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 third program year in 2025. In addition to the fundamental social, economic, and political importance of agriculture for rural regions, this third cohort will focus in particular on the core issue of land use conflicts between renewable energy and agriculture in rural areas.
The growing expansion of renewable energy projects into rural areas presents a promising path toward sustainable energy generation and local economic development but also introduces significant land use conflicts with agriculture. While renewable energy initiatives, such as wind and solar farms, promise substantial benefits in terms of reducing carbon emissions and promoting environmental sustainability, they can also encroach on valuable agricultural land. This dual demand on rural land resources can lead to reduced space for crop cultivation and livestock grazing, thereby impacting food security and local economies. The successful integration of energy and agricultural production requires balancing land use priorities, and ensuring that the needs of rural communities are met. Furthermore, this conflict necessitates the development of innovative solutions and policies that support both energy and food production. To thoroughly explore these opportunities and risks, this program will focus on the following questions:
- How can the growing demand for land for renewable energy production, including wind, solar and bioenergy, be reconciled with the need for sufficient land for food production?
- What are the economic impacts of land use decisions, including the potential for job creation, economic development and financial sustainability of both the renewable energy and agricultural sectors?
- How can the development of new technologies to maximize food and energy production simultaneously be supported? How can land use policy be addressed across sectors to meet different needs?
- What measures can be taken to address the potential social and economic impacts of this transition on local communities?
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:
- interactive virtual workshops between February and August 2025 (approximately 15-20 hours total)
- two 3.5-day in-person meetings (not including travel time) in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany (, and Boulder, Colorado, USA
- collaboration on a joint publication of recommendations to be released in September 2025, and
- a virtual closing event in September 2025
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 the intersection of land use, energy production, and agriculture
- 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 found here by the application deadline of October 15, 2024: https://forms.office.com/e/SWU3sNQ7st
If you have any questions, you can contact Katja Greeson at greeson@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 Climate Protection (BMWK).
