Project Statement

Under the impact of extreme climate conditions, the vital ingredient for beer, hops, is facing serious challenges, with global hop production experiencing a significant decline. The Hallertau region provides approximately 80% of Germany's hops, making hop cultivation and processing pivotal industries in the area. However, the local hop production is now confronted with severe issues such as prolonged heatwaves, water scarcity, and pest infestations due to the influence of extreme weather conditions.

We have selected the Gaizenfeld region within the production area as the project site and proposed landscape strategies aimed at preserving the hops industry chain to foster a virtuous cycle of hops production and ecological restoration.

Project Narrative

Guided by principles of sustainability, we propose landscape strategies aimed at preserving the hops industry chain. This involves restructuring forest and windbreak systems, establishing more extensive irrigation systems, redesigning farmland for increased production efficiency, and fostering a virtuous cycle of hops production and ecological restoration.G

As the demand for beer continues to increase, large areas of forest around Geisenfeld have been cleared for farmland, resulting in fragmented forest edges and patchy forest remnants. The project aims to reconnect and consolidate these scattered patches, creating extensive corridors and patch networks. This will utilize the cooling effect of wind flow through the patches to cool the surrounding fields. Additionally, a complete windbreak belt will be constructed to block hot, dry winds, thereby creating a local microclimate favorable for hop cultivation.

Hops have high irrigation requirements, and climate change-induced factors like uneven summer rainfall and reduced winter snowfall, leading to decreased meltwater, make hops irrigation a significant challenge. The existing six simple irrigation channels around Geisenfeld have very low coverage, making it difficult to manage water resources and posing a high risk of drought and flooding for hops production. The project aims to plan a comprehensive water network that meets the needs of hops production while reducing agricultural pollution and improving the living environment. The water network includes main channels, branch channels, and storage ponds. Ecological buffer zones and purification wetlands are set up along the network to remove residues from agricultural wastewater, ensuring a mutually beneficial coexistence between agricultural production and the ecological environment.

In the Halde region, the predominant model for hop cultivation is family farms, but the vast expanse of hop fields has become burdensome for numerous farmers. Therefore, based on literature research and practical reports, we have utilized forest networks to reconfigure the layout of agricultural land, keeping it within the range of 10-60 hectares, which is most conducive to the operation of family farms. Additionally, employing biological control methods, we have introduced predators of the red spider mite, such as lacewings, and planted food source plants like Chinese wolfberry and blue lettuce at the boundaries of the fields. This will effectively block the spread of pests, thereby reducing the risk of infestation.

The various planning strategies interact synergistically, producing coordinated effects. The forest network provides habitats for beneficial insects, improves local microclimates, enhances soil conditions in agricultural fields, while also conserving water resources, reducing canal evaporation, and achieving resource conservation. The water network not only irrigates farmland but also utilizes wetland systems to purify agricultural wastewater, thereby achieving sustainable development. The appropriately scaled agricultural systems increase forest and water system areas and network systems, simultaneously enhancing local residents' production efficiency and improving agricultural income. The three systems work together to form a well-connected, comprehensive, and functionally rich ecosystem, effectively enhancing local ecological resilience and industrial sustainability.