International Green Week: new bio-hall and a lot of politics

The bio-hall at the International Green Week (17 to 26 01. 2014, 410,000 visitors) was this year new in all respects: relocated to Hall 1.2b near the south entrance, a new concept and a new hall motto “Bio – Mehr Platz für Leben” (Bio – More Space for Life). The German Ministry of Agriculture presented the theme “organic” in the context of its federal programme promoting Organic Agriculture (BÖLN). The new Minister of Agriculture Hans-Peter Friedrich was not able to present the promotional awards for organic farming due to a meeting of the coalition government in Meseburg near Berlin, but he did come to the  party in the evening arranged by BÖLW (Federation of the Organic Food Industry in Germany), where he cut a good eco-figure.

(Picture: Minister Friedrich obviously at ease in the company of association representatives)

More space for stands and a central location for catering and the stage programme were the most conspicuous innovations. The successful “biotainment” concept has been retained. The presence of BÖLN was devoted in particular to the themes production, soil and bees. “At the heart of everything are the organic farmers, vintners and beekeepers from the network of organic demonstration farms,” explained Oliver Weber, the contact partner for the creation of the new organic hall. The managing director of BÖLW, Stefan Zwoll, was in charge of the participating organic associations and the organization of the party held on the Organic Agriculture Day. (Picture: The new bio-hall was much appreciated by the public)
 
Away from the bio-hall, people ‘played organics’. Under the motto “Young Generation goes Bio”, the Fördergemeinschaft Ökologischer Landbau Berlin-Brandenburg (FÖL) e.V (an organization promoting organic farming) brought together school students and eco-correct food for eating during their breaks. “Everything organic in the school kiosk?” is a part of the school student programme "Grüne Woche young generation" and was carried out in cooperation with Ökomarkt Hamburg e.V. (an organization encouraging organic agriculture and a sustainable way of life) and its project “Organic School Kiosk”.

On five days of the fair, five workshops for school student firms were offered on this topic. The school student firms share responsibility for the catering in their schools. “With their new knowledge and the many new recipes from the FÖL workshops, they are in an ideal position to take direct action regarding the catering plans in their school kitchens and bring lasting improvement to what is offered,” explains Michael Wimmer from FÖL, that as a regional partner has organized workshops since 2004 for the nationwide information campaign "Bio kann jeder - nachhaltig essen in Kita und Schule" (eating organic and sustainable food in daycare facilities and schools). (Picture: A seed dispenser: you can get your personal seed ball for bees) 

The sixth Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) was also held during the IGW: approximately 1,500 guests followed the discussions on the GFFA stage, and at the same time ministers of agriculture from almost 70 countries held their Berlin summit meeting with high-ranking representatives of the World Bank, the EU Commission, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN-Environmental Programme UNEP. Hunger in the world was once again declared to be the greatest global challenge. Federal Ex-Minister of Agriculture, Hans-Peter Friedrich, who had invited attendees to the summit, emphasised in his speech the major role agriculture plays in the elimination of hunger - especially in view of the growing world population, diminishing resources and the effects of climate change. He said that, in order to overcome the challenges, the agricultural sector must be made more efficient, more adaptable and more robust. In this endeavour, three factors were crucial: diversity, sustainability and productivity. (Picture: "Bio - Mehr Platz für Leben" – they even found space in the bio-hall for a mobile henhouse with run)

In their final communiqué from the meeting of ministers of agriculture, the government representatives stated that they would fight for maintaining the diversity of genetic resources, production methods and types of farming enterprise. To achieve this aim, among other things, plant research and establishing gene banks had to be supported. The government representatives also wanted to create a more climate-friendly agriculture and promote sustainable management of scarce natural resources, so that sufficient water and soils above all would still be available to farms in the future. (Picture: Lobbying with flavour: Ex-Minister Friedrich being given samples from organic demonstration farms)
 

The results of the Berlin Agricultural Ministers’ Summit flow into the current discussion at the United Nations on the design of the post-2015 Development Agenda. This follows on from the millennium development aims that were agreed by the UN in 2000 in New York. After the Berlin summit, Friedrich handed over the communiqué to the chair of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) at the FAO, Gerda Verburg, and David Nabarro, the special representative of the UN Secretary General for Food Security and Nutrition. (Picture: At BÖLW’s party, the winners of the promotional awards were presented again in the bio-hall)
 

Before the Agriculture Ministers’ Summit, Friedrich welcomed representatives from business, politics, science and civil society at the sixth international Global Forum for Food and Agriculture and he emphasised the joint responsibility of all actors for global food security. “The world community can be successful in combating hunger only if it works together,” he said, and as a positive signal he cited two recent political decisions at EU level: the abolition of all export subsidies on agricultural products and the regulation of the financial markets – measures intended to curb speculation in agricultural markets. (Picture: Bio on a grand scale but without damaging the climate, produced by promotional prize winner Westhof) 
 
As expected, the controversial role of genetic engineering was discussed. Philip von dem Bussche, spokesman of the board of KWS Saat AG, stressed that genetic engineering could make a contribution to solving the problem of hunger – however, it was not the only contribution or the most important one. He said that the industry had made the mistake of arousing excessive expectations – progress in, for example, the breeding of drought-tolerant varieties could often be expected only after 20 – 30 years. Von dem Bussche stated his position clearly: “It’s crucial for us that consumers and farmers have choice.” (Picture: Advertising non-GM research in the bio-hall)

Hans Herren, the founder of the Biovision Foundation, pointed out that even GM varieties will not produce good yields on poor soils. It had been shown in Africa that the yields of maize from local varieties can be increased tenfold because they can, for example, cope with diseases and pests. Moreover, high-yield varieties often needed more water and fertilizer, that were not always available in these countries. “It’s a question of understanding the total production system, taking note of the experiences of farmers and finding integrated solutions,” maintained the winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize in 2013.