#betd24

Deep Dive @BETD.24 on "Holistic Solutions for Food and Water Supply Powered by Renewables" moderated by Hajar Yagkoubi.
The Energy-Water-Food Nexus refers to the interconnections and interdependencies between energy, water, and food systems. Holistic agricultural solutions that integrate renewable energy sources can contribute to sustainable and resilient approaches for ensuring an adequate and secure supply of water and food.
Agri PV also referred to as agrivoltaics or solar farming, offers farms the opportunity to cultivate crops in a more resource-efficient manner and creating new synergies:
They enable dual land use, allowing agricultural activities to continue underneath solar panels. This optimises land use, particularly valuable in areas where land is scarce or expensive.
Moreover, studies have shown that the partial shading provided by solar panels in Agri PV systems can reduce evaporation, maintain soil moisture, and moderate temperature extremes, resulting in improved crop yields.
Additionally, farmers can use electricity generated by on-site solar panels to power their agricultural operations, reducing energy costs and reliance on the grid, thus mitigating the impact of fluctuating energy prices.
Other technologies such as solar irrigation systems (sometimes paired with water-efficient drip irrigation) have become widely recognised in certain parts of the world often replacing diesel pumps. Solar irrigation holds great promise, especially for smallholder farmers in the Global South who depend on rainfed agriculture and are thus particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. However, they often lack access to knowledge, technology and financing to adopt such solutions. Furthermore, solar offers significant potential along agricultural value chains, enabling better preservation and local processing of crops in off-grid areas. This not only enhances food security but also contributes to climate resilience of communities.
During this Deep Dive, we will delve into strategies for driving the energy transition in agriculture, pinpointing remaining obstacles and identifying incentives required for progress.
Speakers:
(1) Dr Prasert Sinsukprasert, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, #thailand
(2) Jennifer Layke, Global Director, Energy, World Ressources Institute ‪@WorldResourcesInstitute‬
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In the past years the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) has become a leading international forum for key stakeholders of the energy sector. High-level policymakers, industry, science and civil society are given the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas on a safe, affordable and environmentally responsible global energy transition. In 2023, over 2,000 on-site and 17,000 virtual participants and viewers from more than 130 countries, more than 40 international delegations with ministers and secretaries of state, and over 100 high-level speakers gathered virtually and on-site in the German capital to participate. The Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue is hosted and supported by the German Federal Government and a joint initiative of German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), German Solar Association (BSW-Solar), German Energy Agency (dena) and eclareon.