It supplies biomass, promotes soil fertility and biodiversity and helps with water protection – the perennial cup plant has quite a few aces up its sleeve. According to recent studies, it is an alternative to maize for biogas energy production. Dr Siegfried Schittenhelm from the Julius Kühn Institute tells us what this plant is all about.
In Italy, Europe's leading rice producer and exporter, farmers are searching for more stable prices and better crop rotation planning. On top of the challenges from international competition, they face restrictions on pesticide use and an almost total lack of industry contracts.
Swedish vineyards are growing in number and in quality, despite unfavourable climatic and commercial conditions. With warming climes, winegrowers intend to put the Scandinavian country on the map of European vineyards within a few years.
This is life at Moellerup Estate: Hemp in the field and in a variety of foods, and the development of proprietary technology for the use of hemp and other raw materials. The estate was run as an ordinary farm for almost 800 years, until the owners discovered the possibilities of hemp as a crop.
Working grapevines on steep slopes is as traditional as it is demanding. Three students are looking to simplify the process, and to save winemakers time and effort with the help of "Bacchus" software.
In France, on the island of Noirmoutier, the tradition of harvesting early potatoes stretches back over two centuries. We meet with the producers of tubers which have a sophisticated taste and high added-value.
Lick the salt, take a shot, bite the lime. Tequila! This might be a more typical association with the alcoholic derivative of the agave plant, but in the continuing search for alternatives to fossil fuels, one research project has grown it to produce bioethanol.
Heliotropic sunflowers (which follow the sun’s movements) are resilient to scorching summer weather. And high yielding varieties which are rich in oleic acid are the prime material in healthy and sustainable vegetable oils.
Kakheti in Eastern Georgia is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the world. The peculiar geographical region on the border between East and West has always enjoyed ample water supplies, fertile soil and bright, warm summers - a God-send for wine-growers, fruit-growers and farmers
In Egypt’s traditional farming regions on the alluvial soil of the Nile, there is hardly any good farmland left. Multiple projects are therefore trying to transform the desert into arable land. Can that work, and is it sustainable?
Lavender and einkorn wheat are a dream team. This pairing makes the farmers of Provence happy, as well as their customers all over the world.
Deep below the suburban streets of London, beneath the feet of hurried commuters, lies something unexpected – a farm, in a converted World War Two air raid bunker.
Albanian agriculture has plenty of challenges, but the sector still has great potential. It is one of the largest producers in the world of medicinal and spice plants. But while many farmers are hoping that the country joins the EU, if and when that will happen is still uncertain.
The Mekong Delta is one of the most fertile regions in the world. Its farmers produce for both the Vietnamese and the global market. However, climate change and intensive cultivation are threatening its future.
The pumpkin is a special crop that has a long-standing tradition in Styria. Now, the fruit with its seed oil is also making an international name for itself. Local farmers and also the region are benefiting from this.