CultivaTUM
Minding the Gap in Global Agriculture
(A Student Research Project of TUM: Junge Akademie - Class 2026)
The Context, The Problem, & Our Goal
The Context
We are an interdisciplinary team of students from TUM and partner universities, brought together by the TUM: Junge Akademie scholarship. Our class theme for this year is "Mind the Gap!"—a challenge to identify, analyze, and bridge the divides in our society.
The Problem
Agriculture is facing a "polycrisis"—climate change, market volatility, and geopolitical instability. But in our first few weeks of research, we've noticed a massive disconnect:
- Academia recommends long-term resilience and ecological restoration.
- Industry often acts on short-term efficiency and survival.
Our Goal
Over the next 20 months, Team CultivaTUM aims to investigate how uncertainty shapes the agricultural sector in the Global North vs. Global South. We want to map the gap between what science suggests and what the industry actually does—and understand why it exists.
Exploration Phase
Project Timeline: Month 1 of 20
We are currently in the initial Research & Hypothesis Phase. We are scanning literature, analyzing industry reports, and defining our scientific approach. Here is what has caught our attention so far:
Initial Observation: The "Optimism Gap"
One of our first findings is a surprising divergence in sentiment. While we expected universal concern regarding climate uncertainty, early data suggests:
- Global North (USA/EU): Farmers seem pessimistic, focused on regulatory burdens and input costs.
- Global South (India/Latin America): There is a surprising trend of optimism, driven by export demand and commodity prices.
Our Question: Is this optimism resilient, or is it a bubble waiting to burst?
Initial Observation: The "Water Paradox"
We are currently looking into case studies in California and Morocco.
Theory:
Uncertainty about water should lead to planting drought-resistant crops.
Reality:
We are seeing evidence of "hardening demand"—farmers switching to high-value, permanent crops (like nuts or fruits) that require more reliable water, increasing systemic risk.
Recent Updates
Week 3: November 2025
Defining "Sustainability"
We spent this week arguing about definitions—and we aren't the only ones. We found that "Regenerative Agriculture" means something totally different depending on who you ask. For academics, it's about social equity and ecosystems. For big agribusiness, it often looks like a carbon accounting metric. If we can't define the terms, how can we mind the gap?
Week 1: November 2025
Team Kick-off
Team CultivaTUM is officially formed! We come from different faculties—Engineering, Life Sciences, and Politics—so our first challenge is just speaking the same language. We are excited to tackle the "Mind the Gap" challenge.
TUM Junge Akademie - Class 2026
Our Class 2026 Team