Green Week in Berlin: What is the mood like in the agricultural sector?

One of the most important events in the agricultural sector is currently taking place in Berlin: for the first time in three years, International Green Week is opening its doors again. It will come as no surprise to most people that the current crises are not leaving the sector unscathed. Farmers have already used the trade fair as an opportunity to demonstrate against the current state of agricultural policy – reason enough for us to take a closer look at the current situation in the agricultural and food sector. Overall, the mood among farmers has actually improved in recent months, according to a survey commissioned by the German Farmers' Association. In addition, politicians are coming up with ideas for change, such as a planned VAT reform by the Federal Environment Agency, which would exempt fruit, vegetables, and grain from VAT. At the same time, there is also the issue of sustainability: a study commissioned by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation looked at how digital solutions can support the ecological development of agriculture. The results are rather sobering: current trends seem to be hindering rather than promoting a sustainable transformation of the agricultural sector. Organic farming and its products are also not having an easy time of it at the moment, but they are less affected by the crisis than one might initially assume. Support for the agricultural sector is available in Thuringia, for example, through a newly established support program for young farmers. At the same time, innovations are also coming from the business sector: a competence center at the REWE Group is to develop new projects to enable sustainable transformation in the agricultural sector.

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