
Photo Credit: Messe Berlin
Berlin, 17.01.2025
The German Agriculture Minister, Cem Özdemir and his EU counterpart Christophe Hansen, took part at the opening of the 89th edition of the Grüne Woche (International Green Week) here today.
Addressing the opening session in the ultra-modern conference edifice, the City Cube, Dr Mario Tobias, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Messe Berlin GmbH, described the Grüne Woche as a ‘burning glass for pressing industry issues’.
Close to 1,500 exhibitors from 60 countries are taking part in the trade fair which has since evolved as an important test market for new products, from vegan to vegetarian to traditional.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner, described the Grüne Woche as an integral part of the German capital with almost a hundred years of history.
According to the organizers, 36 million people have visited the fair since it was founded in 1926.
Like Berlin, the Grüne Woche stands for tradition and the future in equal measure and is a flagship for a cosmopolitan city.
Christophe Hansen, the new EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasised the important economic role of agriculture for the rural economy.
He announced that in order to offer young farmers a perspective, Brussels is currently working on a vision for the future development of the agricultural sector, taking into account climate change and appropriate value creation.
The European Union Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development stressed that the competitiveness of European products is essential for this. At the same time, the Luxembourger promised a noticeable reduction in bureaucracy. Farmers should be able to spend more time in the field than in the office, he adds.
The President of the German Farmers’ Association (DBV), Joachim Rukwied, called for a fundamental political restart in the agricultural sector.
In order to give people more confidence again, a clear political compass was needed, as well as decisions that the majority of society supports.
Joachim Rukwied observed that domestic farmers ensure food security: a guarantee for political and social stability, and called on them to fulfil this task in harmony with climate protection without losing their competitiveness.
In his remarks, Dr Christian von Boetticher, Chairman of the Board of the Federation of German Food and Drink Industries (BVE), said the focus at Grüne Woche was on having fun alongside political debates adding that the love of high-quality food unites producers and guests.
Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir emphasised the importance of compromises, which, he stressed, were necessary for a sustainable agricultural and food industry despite conflicting interests.
An international meeting such as the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) with 70 agriculture ministers from all over the world paves the way for good cooperation, including across national borders. Despite foreign imports, sensitive agricultural sectors must be protected. Özdemir also urged for European origin labelling.