Modern agriculture faces a balancing act: increasing crop yields while protecting the soil and climate.
Expressing means with "dadurch, dass"
To explain how a goal is achieved, English often uses "by" plus an "-ing" verb (like "by flying less"). German expresses this using the two-part connector dadurch, dass (literally: "through that, that").
- dadurch sits in the main clause, pointing forward to the method.
- dass starts a subordinate clause, pushing its conjugated verb to the very end of the sentence.
| One conserves the climate by flying rarely. | Man schont das Klima dadurch, dass man selten fliegt. |
| We fight against the drought by irrigating the field often. | Wir kämpfen gegen die Trockenheit dadurch, dass wir das Feld oft bewässern. |
Improving yields in agriculture
Let's apply this to agricultural vocabulary, like der Ertrag (the yield) and steigern (to increase).
| The farmers try to increase the yield. | Die Bauern versuchen, den Ertrag zu steigern. |
To explain exactly how to increase the yield, use dadurch, dass. Notice how the conjugated verb (düngen - to fertilize) moves to the end.
| You increase the yield by fertilizing the field. | Sie steigern den Ertrag dadurch, dass Sie das Feld düngen. |
| We conserve the soil by working without fertilizer. | Wir schonen den Boden dadurch, dass wir ohne Dünger arbeiten. |
Method vs. Purpose
While dadurch, dass explains the method (by doing X), the structure um ... zu explains the purpose (in order to do X). Compare how these two structures express intent and method:
| The farmers fertilize the soil in order to increase the yield. | Die Bauern düngen den Boden, um den Ertrag zu steigern. |
| We help agriculture by protecting the climate. | Wir helfen der Landwirtschaft dadurch, dass wir das Klima schonen. |
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