Katharina Helming

Prof. Dr. Katharina Helming is a Professor of Sustainability Assessment at the University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde since 2015 and Co-Leader of Program Area 3 'Agricultural Landscape Systems' at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) since 2018. Her academic career spans several decades with significant contributions to sustainability science, soil research, and agricultural management.

Her educational background includes:

• Diploma in Agricultural Sciences from Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (1981-1987)
• Doctoral studies and research assistant at Technical University Berlin (1987-1992)

Prof. Helming's research focuses on participatory sustainability assessment of agricultural management, anticipation and scenario development, soil and society interactions, and the science-policy interface. Her work emphasizes systems-oriented approaches to address sustainability challenges in agricultural landscapes. Her recent publications demonstrate strong focus on sustainability assessment methodologies, soil management, climate change impacts, digital agriculture, and the water-energy-food nexus, often involving interdisciplinary collaboration.

She actively contributes to scientific governance:

• Member of the Leibniz Steering Group on Sustainability since 2022
• Member of the scientific advisory board of AgriScape since 2022
• Member of the scientific advisory board of Horizon Europe project ALL-Ready since 2021
• Founding member of the Leibniz Research Network 'Knowledge for Sustainable Development' since 2020
• Chair of the scientific advisory board of H2020 project EJP Soil since 2020
• Co-editor of Agronomy for Sustainable Development since 2006

Her research methodology combines quantitative and qualitative approaches with strong emphasis on participatory methods. She has developed influential frameworks for linking ecosystem services to Sustainable Development Goals and for assessing mission-oriented research impact, making sustainability assessment more accessible to policymakers and practitioners.