(Un)safe Food? Intensification of Agriculture

The "first agricultural revolution" saw the transition to new crop rotation systems at the end of the 18th century. The "agricultural revolution" since the 1950s brought "full mechanisation" and yield-boosting technologies such as the use of mineral fertilisers. Land and labour productivity increased massively. The panel will ask about the driving forces behind the "agricultural revolutions" in the different eras: To what extent did market incentives, agricultural policy, science, industry and trade shape developments? Can mechanised agriculture guarantee a socially, economically and ecologically sustainable food supply?