Faba Konzepte is a think tank working for just transition to a plant-based food system in both Germany and Europe. We provide analysis and recommendations for policy makers and civil society, provide facts and arguments for public debates and strengthen progressive initiatives.
We research key problem areas in the current food system and develop solutions. We publish policy papers and media contributions to keep the focus on necessary issues, criticize undesirable developments and make political demands. Our focus is on animal farming and its alternatives and our solutions are based on changing framework conditions - in both agriculture and food environments.
We question messages and myths that are used to defend high farmed animal numbers and animal-based diets. We prepare data and facts for the media and civil society, make scientific concepts accessible and expose misinformation. We provide arguments and positive narratives that make the advantages of plant-based diets and the opportunities for change tangible.
We believe that civil society and committed practitioners are key drivers of change. That’s why we support them with our publications and run projects to share knowledge and skills, scale meaningful concepts and connect initiatives.
Faba Konzepte e.V. was founded in November 2022 with the aim of promoting the transition to a plant-based food system. Find out here why change is urgently needed and why we founded a new organization to achieve it.
The “faba bean”, also known as “broad bean”, along with many other legumes, are great plants for transforming the food system. Although legumes aren’t grown for human consumption as much as they used to be, and nowadays are too often used as animal feed, they have the potential to make a healthy contribution to the human protein requirements. So faba is not just a real power bean, it also stands for change, future viability and huge potential!
Our interdisciplinary team combines scientific expertise and many years of experience in promoting plant-based food systems. In addition to our work at Faba Konzepte, we are involved as individuals in food councils, educational associations and climate and animal rights initiatives.
We practise decentralized and consensus-oriented decision-making processes; projects and tasks are assigned on the basis of personal skills and interests and we share organizational and administrative tasks.
Photo: Simon Kramer
Political analysis and science communication
Dr. Friederike Schmitz has been an author and speaker on animal ethics, climate justice, animal farming and food systems since 2014. In her latest book, Anders satt (Ventil Verlag 2022), she charts several concrete paths to achieving a plant-based food system. She gained practical experience in transformation processes in local and national animal rights and climate movement groups. Since 2015, she has also been giving seminars at universities on scientific writing and argumentation as well as science communication. She completed her doctorate in philosophy in 2013.
Friederike co-founded Faba Konzepte and is primarily responsible for the preparation of studies and policy papers. Her work also involves strategic planning of projects, fact-checking and communicating complex issues to different audiences.
Political analysis, research
Frederic Markert is a computer scientist (M.Sc.). Prior to joining Faba Konzepte he worked in project management for research and digitization projects. He has been active in the agricultural and food transition movement and in various climate justice initiatives for many years. Locally, he is involved in promoting sustainable and plant-based food options as part of the Kassel Food Council where he co-founded the “Kantine für Alle” (Canteen for All).
Frederic is a co-founder of Faba Konzepte. He analyzes political opportunities, develops new project ideas and evaluates relevant data and information for our work.
strategic communication, outreach
After completing a business management training, Tanja Niggemeier earned a bachelor’s degree in multimedia production in Kiel. She then worked in press and public relations at a literature and press office in Hamburg. For several years, she has been active in various animal rights and climate justice contexts, bringing with her wide experience in social media, mobilization strategy and press relations.
Tanja has been part of Faba Konzepte since its founding. Today, she primarily works on project publications and creates content for the website, social media and the press.
Political analysis, strategy, fundraising
Dr. Lisa Elena Kettemer holds a doctorate in behavioral biology with a focus on marine biology. After completing a bachelor’s degree in biology in Freiburg, she earned an M.Sc. in biological oceanography from Kiel University. Throughout her career, Lisa has gathered experience in international cooperation and nature conservation. She is also involved in local and international networks that shape climate justice and socio-ecological transformation in innovative and inclusive ways.
Lisa joined Faba Konzepte in November 2024. She develops fundraising concepts, works on political analyses and helps shape the strategic direction of the organization.
education, support for grassroots initiatives
Lena Stolle studied landscape ecology and nature conservation at the University of Greifswald and trained in sustainable horticulture at Schumacher College in Devon (UK). She was awarded her M.A. in transformation studies at the European University of Flensburg with a thematic focus on socio-ecological practices in the agricultural and food system. As a student assistant at the Michael Succow Foundation, she worked on the political framework conditions for the agricultural use of rewetted peatlands (paludiculture). In addition to her work at Faba Konzepte, she works as a gardener in a nutrition and health education project and is involved in the Flensburg Wandelküche (transition kitchen) promoting the transition to sustainable food systems at the local level.
Lena has worked at Faba Konzepte since December 2024. She designs online educational formats and workshops, develops support services for local initiatives and builds networks.
research, project work
Franziska Baudisch completed her master’s degree in Transformation Studies at the European University of Flensburg in 2025. In her master’s thesis, she focused on farm transitions from animal husbandry to vegetable and mushroom cultivation. Through her work with farmers she gained exciting insights into their transition processes and her involvement with food sharing and the Leila lending store in Flensburg has given her experience in developing alternative concepts for socio-ecological transformation.
Franziska has been with Faba Konzepte since May 2025. She is currently involved in several projects, conducting research and public relations work.
Federal Volunteer Service (BFD)
Julia Hackländer has been supporting Faba Konzepte since April 2025 as part of a federal voluntary service program. Before joining us, Julia volunteered at several sanctuaries for rescued animals, in a renaturation project in Europe and conducted research on global land degradation as a geoinformatics specialist in the Netherlands.
volunteer
Francisco (Pacho) Arcila studied biology at the National University of Colombia and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, specializing in entomology, bioinformatics and data science. He is involved in Biocyclic Vegan International where he worked on disseminating biocyclic vegan guidelines, particularly in the context of projects in Latin America. In addition, he is involved in animal sanctuaries and social justice projects, such as prevention and risk minimization in the use of psychoactive substances.
Francisco has been volunteering with Faba Konzepte since early 2025.
You can find our current vacancies on the German page.
If you are interested in working with us, completing an internship or federal voluntary service or supporting us as a volunteer, you can get in touch by email.
We will inform you about new vacancies in our newsletter or via our social media channels.
We are aware that discrimination is an everyday occurrence for many people and that structural discrimination in particular often remains invisible.
Our team currently consists of three white, cisgender, non-disabled people (two women, one man) who have studied and are German citizens. Prior to our collaboration at Faba Konzepte, we individually attended various anti-discrimination workshops and also carry out joint reflection spaces and training sessions as part of Faba Konzepte to reduce and sensitise people to various forms of discrimination.
Our aim is for our team not only to grow, but also to become more diverse and to reflect different perspectives, origins and identities. We would therefore like to invite people who are affected by structural discrimination to apply for our vacancies. We are happy to discuss individual needs in a personal dialogue.
Faba Konzepte is financed by donations and project funds from foundations, funding programmes and private individuals. We would be delighted to hear from more people who would like to support us so that we can remain active in the long term and realise additional projects.
Faba Konzepte is currently receiving start-up funding from the Bastet Foundation Hamburg.
We are a member of the alliance “Rechtssicherheit für politische Willensbildung” to change the non-profit law together with other organisations. Civil society is non-profit – but civil society organisations that express themselves politically are constantly at risk of losing their non-profit status. We want to change that and create legal certainty through legal clarifications.
We are a member of the PlantEurope Network. The network aims to connect European innovators who are committed to a plant-based food system.
easyVerein supports us with a funding discount for non-profit organisations.
Andreas Stratmann is a media designer and has designed position papers, graphics and print materials for us.
