Ukudla - African German Centre

Day 8 (16 June) marked the final teaching day of the 2026.

Led by Professor Julian May, the day’s Food Systems session explored how regenerative urbanism and territorial governance can help build more sustainable, resilient and equitable food systems.

Using the Breede Valley Municipality in South Africa as a case study, participants examined why food security challenges cannot be solved through agriculture alone. Discussions highlighted the connections between food systems, housing, water, energy, transport, health, education and local governance.

A key takeaway was that transforming food systems requires collaboration across sectors and communities. Through participatory research, collective learning and inclusive governance, stakeholders can work together to design place-based solutions that support food security, ecological sustainability and social wellbeing.

As the final teaching day of the Summer School, the session brought together many of the themes explored throughout the programme: food systems, sustainability, innovation, governance and collaboration.

Read more from our students here: https://ukudla-coe.ac.za/2026/06/17/connecting-food-people-and-place-through-territorial-governance/ / via the link in our bio.

A proud message from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), an UKUDLA consortium partner. Together, we’re preparing the next generation of food systems leaders!

Day 7 (15 June) of the 2026 took participants beyond the classroom and into the field.

The day began with a visit to the John Deere Forum in Mannheim, where participants explored the role of technology, automation and precision agriculture in shaping the future of farming.

In the afternoon, the group visited Biohof Grieshaber & Schmid, a family-run organic farm in the Stuttgart region. Participants learned about ecological soil management, nutrient recycling, biodiversity and sustainable food production in practice.

Together, the visits highlighted two important dimensions of food systems transformation: technological innovation and sustainable farming. The excursion offered valuable insights into how different approaches can contribute to more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.

Day 5 (13 June) of the 2026 concluded the Computational Science Hub (CSH) Summer School at the University of Hohenheim.

Building on the previous day’s drone operations and field data collection, participants explored how artificial intelligence, remote sensing and machine vision can be used to support precision agriculture and sustainable food systems.

Led by Pirmin Stöhr and Dr Robin Mink of SAM-DIMENSION, the sessions focused on image annotation, AI training datasets and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Through hands-on exercises, participants learned how crops and weeds can be identified from drone imagery and how data quality directly affects AI performance.

One of the day’s key messages was that technology is most effective when it solves real-world problems. By combining remote sensing, machine vision and AI-driven analysis, these tools can help farmers reduce herbicide use, improve efficiency and strengthen resilience in a changing climate.

Read more from our students via the link in our bio.

Day 4 (12 June) of the 2026 marked a transition from the ACRIUC Symposium to the Computational Science Hub (CSH) Summer School, where participants began exploring how data science and digital technologies can support more sustainable and resilient food systems.

Hosted at the University of Hohenheim, the first day of the CSH programme introduced participants to the fundamentals of remote sensing and precision agriculture through a combination of theory and hands-on learning.

Led by Pirmin Stöhr of SAM-DIMENSION, participants explored remote sensing technologies, machine vision and data-driven decision-making, as well as applications such as thermography, multispectral imaging, RGB imaging and hyperspectral sensing.

A key focus of the day was spot-spraying, a precision agriculture approach that targets weeds or affected areas rather than entire fields. Discussions explored both the opportunities and challenges of adopting these technologies, including cost, accessibility and practical implementation.

One of the highlights was designing and executing a drone data-capturing mission. Using Mission Planner software, participants configured flight paths and operational parameters before watching the drone autonomously complete the mission, demonstrating how planning, automation and data collection can work together to support agricultural decision-making.

Read more from our students here: https://ukudla-coe.ac.za/2026/06/15/from-data-to-decisions-exploring-remote-sensing-for-sustainable-agriculture/

Day 2 of the 2026 focused on ‘Underutilised Crops and Climate Resilience’ as participants continued engaging with the ACRIUC Symposium at the University of Hohenheim.

The day featured keynote presentations by Professor Karl Schmid (University of Hohenheim) on plant breeding for underutilised crops, and Professor Lembe Magwaza (University of Mpumalanga) on the role of underutilised crops in climate resilience and sustainable protein supply.

Participants also explored crop diversity conservation, international initiatives supporting crop diversity, and the nutritional potential of opportunity crops through presentations by Crop Trust and Welthungerhilfe.

In the afternoon, discussions turned to climate resilience, agroecology and data-driven approaches to strengthening food systems. A workshop led by researchers from FiBL, the University of the Western Cape and the University of Hohenheim highlighted the importance of collaboration, knowledge-sharing and improved data systems for indigenous and neglected crops.

A key takeaway from the day was that unlocking the potential of underutilised crops requires more than research alone. Stronger value chains, supportive policies, sustained investment and collaboration across sectors are all critical for building resilient food systems.

Read more, particularly the students’ perspective, via the link in our bio.

The UKUDLA Summer School 2026 officially commenced on 9 June at the (UHOH) in Stuttgart, Germany, bringing together postgraduate students, researchers and supervisors from across the UKUDLA consortium for a shared learning journey at the intersection of food systems, sustainability and data science.

The opening day included the start of the international symposium, “Agroecology, Climate Resilience, and Indigenous and Underutilised Crops: Rethinking Value Chains for Sustainable Food Futures”, which brought together researchers from Southern Africa and Germany to explore the role of indigenous and underutilised crops in building more sustainable and climate-resilient food systems.

Participants were welcomed by representatives of the UHOH and Germany’s federal ministries (UKUDLA funding partners the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity) before engaging with keynote presentations and scientific discussions on the agroecology of indigenous and underutilised crops, crop diversity, climate resilience and sustainable production systems.

Highlights included contributions from Professor Ndiko Ludidi (University of Mpumalanga/DSTI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) and UKUDLA co-Project Leader), Professor Simone Graeff-Hoenninger (UHOH) and Dr Ethel Phiri (Stellenbosch University).

As part of the Summer School’s science communication activities, students are documenting their learning journey through a series of daily digital diaries. The first diary reflects on key discussions from the opening symposium and explores how indigenous and underutilised crops can be repositioned from the margins to the mainstream of sustainable food systems. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gz65kza4 / via the link in our bio.

The UKUDLA Summer School 2026 is officially underway at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany.

Over the coming days, postgraduate students, researchers and supervisors from across the UKUDLA consortium will come together to explore the intersections of food systems, sustainability and data science under the theme “Data Science for Sustainable Food Systems: Facing Climate Change”.

Day one saw students from our African institutions (University of the Western Cape, University of Pretoria, University of Mpumalanga and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources) arrive in Germany for a week of learning, collaboration and exchange.

The Summer School was formally opened with welcome remarks from the UKUDLA Hohenheim Project Leader Prof. Dr. Christine Wieck and Co-Project Leader Prof. Dr. Thomas Dimpfl; alongside Mr Lars Gerold from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD); the Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Prof. Dr. Ralf Vögele; and the Dean of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Benjamin Jung at the University of Hohenheim.

As the 2026 Summer School begins, participants embark on a shared learning journey that combines food systems, digital innovation, policy engagement and international collaboration, while strengthening the networks and partnerships that sit at the heart of UKUDLA.