Stefan has Asperger's autism and has worked at Burda for many years. We met him for World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April - a conversation about clattering knives, false prejudices and his wish for us all.
Every year on April 22nd, Earth Day reminds people around the world just how important it is to protect our planet – and encourages us all to take action. At Burda, we're actively working to prevent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But we don’t stop there. Through projects in regenerative agriculture, we're also promoting healthy soil – but what does that have to do with climate action?
Christina Frenzel from the Corporate Sustainability Team explains:
“Our top priority is implementing measures to reduce our company’s emissions. But we also want to make a positive impact on our immediate environment. That’s why, since 2021, we’ve been voluntarily investing in regenerative agriculture projects.”
The goal of this initiative? To improve soil health in farmland in a lasting way. Healthy soil is not only more resilient and fertile, but also one of the most powerful carbon sinks we have in Germany. Regenerative practices – like planting flowering strips and avoiding chemical fertilizers – also support biodiversity and boost ecosystems.
“Today, around 50% of Germany’s land is used for agriculture. The more of that land we manage regeneratively, the better it is for nature – and for us,” says Christina. “The fewer harmful substances we add to the soil, the healthier our food will be in the end.”
At the start of 2024, Burda began working with the agritech company Klim. This digital platform connects farmers with businesses and supports farms with both expertise and funding to help them transition to regenerative agriculture.
And the results speak for themselves:
In 2024, Burda supported a total of 42 farmers through Klim in applying regenerative practices. Together, they regenerated soil across more than 1,200 hectares of farmland – that’s about 1,680 football fields!
The participating farmers focused on three key areas: drastically reducing fertilizer use, minimizing soil disturbance by avoiding intensive tillage, and enriching the soil through diverse crop rotations. In addition, certain areas were purposefully left fallow or converted into flowering strips to support biodiversity. And the collaboration will continue in 2025!
