Federal cabinet sets up future agriculture commission

The office is located at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture

The Federal Cabinet agreed today to set up the Agriculture Future Committee. The establishment was an essential result of the agricultural summit, to which Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, had invited around 40 agricultural associations.

With the involvement of practitioners, scientists and societal actors, in particular environmental, animal welfare and consumer associations, the commission is to develop practical recommendations for productive and resource-saving agriculture. It is about developing an overarching common understanding of how more animal welfare, biodiversity, climate and environmental protection can be brought together with the fundamental tasks of crop security and economic sustainability - especially for the many family businesses.

The aim is to help resolve the existing conflicting goals between:

• Economically viable food production versus climate and environmental protection,

• Price awareness versus rising consumer expectations.

It is also about hearing and using the ideas of those who are responsible for our means of life.

The German Farmers' Association (DBV) and the initiative “Land creates connection” (LsV) have therefore developed the concept for a future agriculture commission.

The Federal Government will support the work of the Future Commission. An office at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture is set up for organizational support.

Chaired by Prof. Dr. Peter Strohschneider, the commission is to submit an interim report in autumn 2020 and a final report in summer 2021.

The following are appointed as members of the Future Commission:

President: Prof. Dr. Peter Strohschneider

• Hubertus Paetow (President of the German Agricultural Society)

• Joachim Rukwied (President of the German Farmers' Association)

• Petra Bentkämper (President of the German Rural Women's Association)

• Stefan Mann (Federal Chairman of the Federal Association of German Dairy Farmers)

• Kathrin Muus (Federal Chair of the Federation of German Rural Youth)

• Dirk Andresen (Country spokesman creates connection)

• Dr. Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein (Chairman of the Board of Organic Food Management)

• Elisabeth Fresen (Federal Chair of the Working Group on Farming)

• Jürgen Mertz (President of the Central Horticultural Association)

• Ute Volquardsen (Vice President of the Association of Chambers of Agriculture)

• Franz-Josef Holzenkamp (President of the German Raiffeisen Association)

• Manfred Hudetz (President of the Agricultural Industry Association)

• Stephanie Franck (Chair of the Federal Plant Breeders' Association)

• Philipp Hengstenberg (President Food Association Germany)

• Dr. Christian von Boetticher (Chairman of the Federal Association of the German Food Industry)

• Klaus Müller (board member of the consumer association of the federal association)

• Miriam Schneider (Head of Brussels Office, Federal Association of German Food Trade)

• Susanne Dehmel (Member of the Expert Council for Consumer Affairs)

• Prof. Dr. Kai Niebert (President of the German Nature Protection Ring)

• Jörg-Andreas Krüger (President of the Naturschutzbund Deutschland)

• Olaf Bandt (Chairman of the Federation for Environment and Nature Conservation Germany)

• Christoph Heinrich (Director of Nature Conservation WWF Germany)

• Thomas Schröder (President of the German Animal Protection Association)

• Myriam Rapior (member of the federal board of BUNDjugend)

• Martin Kaiser (Managing Director Greenpeace)

• Prof. Dr. Manfred Niekisch (Deputy Chairman Expert Advisory Board for Environmental Issues)

• Prof. Dr. Achim Spiller (University of Göttingen)

• Prof. Dr. Hiltrud Nieberg (Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute)

• Prof. Dr. Ute Knierim (University of Kassel)

• Prof. Dr. Ramona Teuber (University of Gießen)

• Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Vera Bitsch (Technical University of Munich)

Representatives of the Federal Chancellery, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Construction and Home Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and As non-voting guests, nuclear safety has the right to participate in the meetings of the Future Commission at any time.