Research Projects
Ongoing Projects
Adoption of Sustainable Practices by Produce Wholesale Markets
Analyzing the role of produce wholesale markets in the supply of regional organic produce in selected regions in Germany and Europe; analyzing and assessing the sustainability of the past and current state of such markets; constructing evidence-based visions for such markets (in 10+ years); building evidence-based strategies / action plans for achieving these visions (over the next 10+ years).
Funded through “TRANSFORM – Accelerating Sustainability Entrepreneurship Experiments at the Local Scale” LINK
01/2023 – 12/2024
Team members involved:
- Master Thesis project by Sophia McRae (Jan-June 2023): Analyzing and assessing the sustainability of the past and current state of the produce wholesale market Freiburg; constructing an evidence-based vision for this market (~2035).
- Master Thesis project by Annelie Plachetka (June-Nov 2023): Refining the evidence-based vision for the produce wholesale market Freiburg (~2035); building an evidence-based strategy / action plan for achieving this vision (2024-2034).
Practice partners involved:
- Grossmarkt Freiburg, Agronauten, Biohof Wolfgang Hees, Ernährungsrat Freiburg und Region, Umweltschutzamt der Stadt Freiburg, Bio-Musterregion Freiburg, GFI Deutsche Frischemärkte
Amplifying the Impacts of Cooperative-Consumer Food Businesses
Analyzing the current state of cooperative-consumer food businesses (CSAs, CSXs, consumer cooperatives) in Arizona and in Baden-Württemberg; building evidence-based strategies / action plans for amplifying their impacts.
Funded through “TRANSFORM – Accelerating Sustainability Entrepreneurship Experiments at the Local Scale” LINK
Submitted for funding through the INTERREG-VI URR program (01/2024-12/2026) LINK
01/2023 – 12/2024
Team members involved:
- Research assistantship by Gabriel Sheppard and Jenna Bryant
- Research assistantship by Sofia Henning
- Master thesis project by Andreas Winkler
Research partners involved:
- Prof. Dr. Lauren Chenarides, Arizona State University, USA
- Prof Dr. Joerg Lindenmeier, University of Freiburg, Germany
- Dr. Birgit Hoinle, University of Hohenheim, Germany
Practice partners involved:
- 10+ CSAs, CSXs, consumer food cooperatives in Arizona
- 40+ CSAs, CSXs, consumer food cooperatives in Baden-Württemberg
Completed Projects
Designing Sustainable Food Forest Enterprises
USA, Germany
Funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation: “Processes of Sustainability Transformation” (PI: Prof. Dr. Matthias Barth)
2017 – 2022
Dr. Stefanie Albrecht, Prof. Dr. Arnim Wiek
Publication (more under Publications)
Designing Sustainable International Supply and Value Chains for Coffee
USA, Mexico, Germany
Funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation: “Processes of Sustainability Transformation” (PI: Prof. Dr. Matthias Barth)
2017 – 2021
Dr. Hanna Weber, Prof. Dr. Arnim Wiek
Publication (more under Publications)
Transferring and Scaling Sustainable Local Food Economy Solutions
USA, Germany, China
Funded by the Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes
2018 – 2019
In Collaboration with Prof. Dr. Megan Horst, Prof. Dr. Stefan Schaltegger, Prof. Dr. Yuk Wah Chan
Prof. Dr. Arnim Wiek
Municipal Tools for Fostering the Sustainable Local Food Economy
Germany
Funded by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF): KERNiG – Municipal food systems as key to integrative sustainability governance (PI: Heiner Schanz)
2021 – 2023
Dr. David Sipple, Prof. Dr. Arnim Wiek
Building a Sustainable Food Economy Accelerator for Arizona
USA
Funded by the Belmont Forum & the Joint Programming Initiative Urban Europe: Globally and Locally-Sustainable Food-Water-Energy Innovation in Urban Living Labs (GLOCULL). (PI: Ron Cörvers, Maastricht University)
2018 – 2021
Dr. Nigel Forrest, Prof. Dr. Arnim Wiek, Prof. Dr. Lauren Withycombe Keeler