Bayer ForwardFarming – Demonstrating Sustainable Agriculture in Practice
1:50 minForwardFarming:
Demonstrating Sustainable Agriculture in Practice
Bayer ForwardFarming is a knowledge platform that demonstrates sustainable agriculture in practice.
In partnership with independent farmers, the initiative creates opportunities for demonstration, dialogue and collaboration on farms around the world. Tailored solutions, proactive stewardship measures, and partnerships are implemented to show how modern agriculture can go hand in hand with environmental and social responsibility.
What is a Bayer ForwardFarm?
ForwardFarms are independent farms that are representative of the region in which they are located. The farmers proactively seek improvements in sustainable agriculture practices. The farms serve as a hub for exchange of ideas and insights that can be implemented locally, and globally.
These farms benefit from partnerships with both the public and private sector to support their business, produce high-quality food, feed, and renewable raw materials, while at the same time preserving farmland and natural resources such as water, soil and biodiversity.
Explore the Bayer ForwardFarming network below to learn more!
Sustainable Agriculture In Practice
Tailored Solutions
Selection of high-quality, certified seeds is essential for a good yield. Treatments help protect seeds against diseases and pests. SeedGrowth™ is an example of an integrated system – providing products, coatings, equipment and services – that encourages optimal seed development through on-seed applications. Learn more here.
Crop Protection ProductsChemical and biological crop protection products combine to protect against weeds, pests and diseases. Decision support tools as mentioned above help to optimize the timing of applications and help apply only as much as is truly needed.
Digital Tools & ServicesFrom advanced weather monitoring to satellite remote sensing, digital technology enables farmers to take advantage of the data at their fingertips.
Proactive Stewardship
Safe Use of Crop Protection Products
Ensuring the responsible handling and application of products is an essential part of farming safety. ForwardFarming serves as a demonstration and knowledge exchange platform for farmers and other stakeholders to share, learn and adopt best practices to keep themselves safe and continue to produce healthy food.
For farmer support, Bayer provides an online tool called BAYER DRESSCODE with information about personal protection. Bayer has also developed a new closed system device called easyFlow®. This device allows operators to measure and translocate crop protection products without being exposed to them.
Enhancement of Natural HabitatOn each farm, coexistence with the natural surroundings is important not only for the environment, but for the health of the crops. Depending on the local habitat and species, farms implement diverse features including:
- Mixed plant hedges act as a windshield for fruit crops and help prevent spray drift.
- Flowering strips and mixed hedges ensure that bees, wild pollinators and other beneficial insects have food and shelter throughout the year when active.
- Nesting boxes are provided for small birds and resting places for predatory birds.
- Insect hotels provide habitat and encourage activity, especially by wild pollinators.
- Open plots allow skylarks to land and build their nests in the surrounding fields.
Water is one of our most valuable resources. Regardless of the activity, using and preserving water in a responsible manner is in the farmer’s and the environment’s best interest.
- One example is the Phytobac™ system used on Bayer ForwardFarms to ensure safe disposal and cleaning of wastewater. Residue water collected from a designated cleaning area is distributed slowly over a basin filled with a soil and straw mixture. Microorganisms in the soil remove chemical residue, and the clean water evaporates. Learn more about this technology here.
Partnerships
Just a few examples of partnerships established by current ForwardFarms include:
- University of Ghent (Belgium)
- National Corn Growers Association Soil Health Partnership (USA)
- Internet of Food & Farming 2020 (Netherlands)
- Fraunhofer Chile Research (Chile)
- JP Dantas, Agronomic Consultant-Soil Fertility (Brazil)
- Stiftung Rheinische Kulturlandschaft (Germany)
The ForwardFarming Network of Sustainable Farms
Hof ten Bosch Hof ten Bosch, located in Huldenberg region near Brussels, Belgium, farms potatoes, wheat, sugar beet, corn, apples and pears on 148 hectares.
More information:
Brochure (English)
Flyer (English)
Flyer (French)
Flyer (Dutch)
Take a Virtual Tour of the Farm
Visit the ForwardFarming Belgium Page
Hof ten Bosch Farmed by the Peeters family since 1890, Hof ten Bosch has been owned by brothers Jan and Josse Peeters since 1980.
More information:
Brochure (English)
Flyer (English)
Flyer (French)
Flyer (Dutch)
Take a Virtual Tour of the Farm
Visit the ForwardFarming Belgium Page
Hof ten Bosch Weather stations monitor leaf moisture, relative humidity, temperature and solar radiation to optimize spraying schedules.
More information:
Brochure (English)
Flyer (English)
Flyer (French)
Flyer (Dutch)
Take a Virtual Tour of the Farm
Visit the ForwardFarming Belgium Page
Hof ten Bosch Low-drift nozzles minimizes the effect of crop protection practices on neighboring crops and pollinators.
More information:
Brochure (English)
Flyer (English)
Flyer (French)
Flyer (Dutch)
Take a Virtual Tour of the Farm
Visit the ForwardFarming Belgium Page
Hof ten Bosch Farming is a way of life for the Peeters family. They live on the grounds of Hof ten Bosch.
More information:
Brochure (English)
Flyer (English)
Flyer (French)
Flyer (Dutch)
Take a Virtual Tour of the Farm
Visit the ForwardFarming Belgium Page