Pfaffenhofen focuses on sustainability: Bodenallianz receives a three-year commitment!

Pfaffenhofen focuses on sustainability: Bodenallianz receives a three-year commitment!

Finally a reason to be happy in Pfaffenhofen a. d. Ilm! On November 14, 2025, the city council unanimously decided to continue the soil alliance for another three years. This is not only good news for local farmers, but also an important step for regional biodiversity, water retention and soil protection. Mayor Thomas Herker emphasized the immense importance of this alliance, which has been unique in Germany since its founding in 2018. Around 180 agricultural businesses are committed to the sustainable management of agricultural land in the region.

Since the start of the Soil Alliance, over 1,000 hectares of additional organic arable and pasture land have been integrated into ecological management; a truly impressive progress! Together, farmers and the city population manage around a fifth of the agricultural land using an ecological and natural approach.

Practical offers and networking

The solidarity efforts of the Soil Alliance not only promote agriculture, but also the exchange between farmers and the city population. Practical offerings such as the “Soil Practitioners” program are offered to support farmers in finding new marketing routes. In the coming round of the program, the focus will be on further training and networking, an important aspect of further strengthening the community.

In order to make farmers' achievements for the environment and the common good visible, regional value-performance accounting is being introduced. This also includes a fund from which payments will flow to farmers to offset CO₂ emissions. A pilot project for sustainable pasture management is also being planned, as is the “BODEN.BILDUNG” innovation fund, which promotes soil-saving ideas and thus makes a further positive contribution to agriculture.

Financial support from the city budget

The financial support is particularly pleasing: from 2026 to 2028, an amount of around 100,000 euros will be made available annually from the city's budget for the Soil Alliance in order to continue to promote progress and initiatives. The majority of the area in Pfaffenhofen – a remarkable 54% – is used for agriculture. This is not only a sign of flourishing agriculture, but also of the strengthening of the environment through humus-rich soils, which offer advantages such as flood protection and CO₂ sequestration.

With these measures, Pfaffenhofen a. d. Ilm has become a pioneer in sustainable agriculture and impressively shows how a strong local initiative can contribute to improving environmental conditions. Now it’s time to “stay tuned” and take the next steps boldly! Further information about the developments in the soil alliance and the offers can be found at Pfaffenhofen und Du.