AgScience-on-Tap | Social factors in agriculture

Exciting lectures (in English) and lively discussions in a relaxed atmosphere with a cool drink on Wednesday evenings: that's “AgScience-on-Tap”. In this series of events in the “Jagdzimmer” of the Furtnerbräu Freising, you will meet speakers from various fields of agricultural, nutritional and environmental sciences with changing topics. The interdisciplinary organization team from TUM and HSWT is looking forward to a large audience for exchange and networking on current research results presented and presented in an understandable way.
Agriculture is never just a matter of engineering technology, crop cultivation, or animal farming – it is always embedded in social contexts. Consumption habits, public perceptions, political debates, and ethical values shape how agricultural research is conducted and which innovations gain traction. Under the semester theme “Social Factors in Agriculture”, the AgScience-on-Tap series in Winter Semester 2025/26 explores these interactions: How do social factors influence agricultural practices and research, and how can science engage with society to address key questions for the future?
Current crop production systems face economic pressure and an increasing risk due to climate change. They are also often viewed critically by society.

Can novel technologies like crop robots enable new crop protection systems that require fewer chemical inputs, promote biodiversity, protect the soil, and generate a sufficient income for farmers while also being more accepted by society? The Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL) has been investigating this question in its Future Crop Farming Living Lab since 2022. The talk of Olivia Spykman will guide the audience through the findings on whether autonomous robots actually save time, where insects like to live, and how perspectives of farmers and non-farmers differ.
 

Dates and topics for the following talks:

• 08 December 2025, 7 pm, Amy Clare (TUM): “These issues are just not understood!” Livestock farmers’ perspectives on gene editing, a tale of issue formation and public engagement
• 21 January 2025, 7 pm, Dr. Mascha Gugganig (LMU): Science, Technology, and Agrifood: exploring intersections between critical agrifood studies and science & technology studies

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