Climate change and projections that global population will be reaching the ten billion mark by 2050 are posing major challenges to the health of our ecosystems and thus food security. To safeguard the livelihood of people today and of following generations, a shift toward more sustainable farming practices, economic systems and food production is becoming increasingly important. However, many of us struggle to change long-established dietary habits and to opt for products that are more eco- and climate-friendly. In addition, not many people are open to accepting alternative food products such as those based on insects or algae.
Ideas fit for the future—from vertical farming to AI on the field
Schoolchildren participating in the “Zukunft auf dem Teller” education project find out about innovative approaches in food production during workshops, company visits and discussions with researchers. In their encounters they hear about sustainable ideas and get to meet stakeholders that work on eco- and climate-friendly solutions—from aquaponics facilities combining fish farming with plant breeding to vertical farming to the deployment of AI on the field. Insights gained are subsequently shared with their peers via different communication formats.
“This project aims to not only impart knowledge but also to overcome individual inhibitions and contribute to a change in attitude,” says Professor Scheersoi, Biology Didactics, University of Bonn. Ulrike Schmidt, Director of LizzyNet adds: “At the same time, we hope to start discussions about the acceptance of alternative food sources for the future.”
Between March and July 2025, trial workshops will be held at three schools in Bonn before they move to other regions for the rest of the two-year project period. Project-executing organization is LizzyNet, responsible for issuing the www.lizzynet.de1 online youth magazine and carrying out participative (education) projects in the fields of environment and sustainability as well as society and culture. Biology Didactics at the University of Bonn as a collaborative partner is, among other things, undertaking empirical teaching and learning research on biology didactics at extracurricular learning places while also looking into the impact different communication formats have on schoolchildren when it comes to the level of understanding of and interest in science.
project website2 (in German)