For more than ten years, the originally East German Bündnis Alliance has demonstrated at the start of the Green Week, just like many other agricultural organizations. This year's motto was: "Good food needs a future." Last week, Berlin's main focus was on the large tractor demonstration against the planned cuts to agricultural diesel subsidies.
The protesters called for GMO-free, farm-based, and environmentally friendly agriculture under the motto “Good food needs a future.” Their plea for more organic farming was supported, among others, by animal protection and environmental organizations and ecologically oriented agricultural associations.
The demonstrative procession of the organic farmers on Saturday passed by the SPD headquarters, the Bundestag, and the Chancellery. A petition was handed over to BMEL Minister Cem Özdemir calling for structural funding for the agricultural transition.
“Now it is time to take the next step: finally implement the recommendations of the Borchert Commission,” it was argued. The German coalition still needs to make a decision about this. The liberal FDP is especially hesitant about higher taxes to make taxpayers contribute to the agricultural transition.
Partially simultaneously with the demonstration, a conference of agricultural ministers took place in Berlin on Saturday, where Özdemir welcomed about seventy colleagues from around the world, as well as delegations from international organizations. He stated that the assurance of sufficient food is of great importance for world peace.
Özdemir pointed, among other things, to the unrest in the global food market due to the war in Ukraine and the impact of climate change on food production. He stated that one-tenth of the world's population suffers from hunger and malnutrition.
According to Özdemir, it is important for countries to share knowledge to guarantee food safety and for countries to also share food with each other. "By helping others, we also help ourselves with international security."