Berlin / Hamburg, 9 December 2021. Yesterday, the new federal government was put into office. The Bundesverband Agrarhandel (BVA) e. V. (Federal Association of Agricultural Trade) and the Verein der Getreidehändler der Hamburger Börse (VdG) e.V. (Grain Traders Association of the Hamburg Stock Exchange) congratulate the new Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ministers from the SPD, the Greens and the FDP. The agricultural traders had paid particular attention to the appointment of the Federal Ministers for Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMU) in the recent weeks. Both were now given to the Greens: Cem Özdemir will head the BMEL in the future, Steffi Lemke the BMU.
“The fact that both ministries are now headed by people from the same parliamentary group gives reason to expect that they will work together more effectively in the future,” predicts Martin Courbier, Managing Director at BVA e.V.. “From Cem Özdemir, we hope that he will remain true to his objective line even on controversial agricultural issues. I perceive him as a politician with integrity and trustworthiness who is not afraid to address things openly and honestly. That will be good for the debate on the future direction of agriculture and farming. And Steffi Lemke, as an agricultural scientist, also brings expertise for BMEL topics, which is a good prerequisite for constructive talks between the ministries.”
“The fact that both ministries are now headed by people from the same parliamentary group gives reason to expect that they will work together more effectively in the future,”
Managing Director at BVA e.V.
Christof Buchholz, Managing Director at VdG e.V., hopes that the newly led ministries will proceed in a future-oriented manner, recognize the importance of international agricultural trade for global food supply and strengthen innovations: “High-yield regions must be optimally utilized. Food must then be distributed internationally to balance supply and demand. In this way, fewer resources are consumed than it would be the case with production aimed at pure self-sufficiency. Free international agricultural trade is essential for this. Innovations, such as new genomic techniques, must also be strengthened. Innovations help ensure that Germany remains competitive in agricultural production, improves its sustainability even further and maintains its position on the world market.”
Bundesverband Agrarhandel e. V.
The Bundesverband Agrarhandel e.V. (BVA) (Federal Association of Agricultural Trade) represents the interests of the agricultural trade in Germany. The BVA member companies qualitatively process the agricultural raw materials supplied by agriculture, such as grain and oilseeds, by drying and cleaning them and market these products as food and animal feed in Germany and abroad. They also sell seed, crop protection agents and fertilizers as well as animal feed to the agricultural sector. Agricultural trade thus plays a crucial role in the agricultural value chain.
Verein der Getreidehändler der Hamburger Börse e.V.
The Verein der Getreidehändler der Hamburger Börse e.V. (VdG) (Grain Traders Association of the Hamburg Stock Exchange) is the federal association of international wholesale and foreign trade in cereals, oilseeds, feeds and pulses and has been the official voice of the industry at the world trading center of Hamburg for over 150 years. It acts as a service provider for its members and also as a partner for administration, politics and business in Berlin, Bonn and Brussels.
Press contact:
Verein der Getreidehändler der Hamburger Börse e.V.
Anika Nicolaudius
Public relations
Adolphsplatz 1
20457 Hamburg / Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 40-369879-12
E-Mail: boenisch@der-agrarhandel.de
Picture: Deutscher Bundestag / Tobias Koch