Bioland-president: reducing enemy stereotypes

In order to meet the climate targets, the organic sector must reduce enemy images and connect people. This was the demand of Jan Plagge, President of the Bioland Association, at the eco-marketing days in Kirchberg.

In a speech to more than 200 participants, the Bioland president warned that with an image of enemies in our head against which we take position, our ideal image will always remain unreachable. Plagge cautioned against polarization and finger-pointing, saying that if we want transform society to reach climate neutrality, we can no longer afford the luxury of blaming others. It is not enough to pursue nice concepts on a small scale, while the foundations of basis of living are being destroyed on a large scale.

Out of the association niche and food bubble

On the way to climate neutrality, Plagge called for cooperation with economic sectors outside agriculture, such as the construction, energy and mobility sectors, as well as with banks and insurance companies. Polarization towards customers, forms of retail trade, the farmers’ association or the CDU to justify one’s own attitude and significance should be avoided. Rather than following the concepts of blaming “enemies”, partnerships should be established to create change. Best example: the cooperation between Bioland and Lidl.

Fighting for ideals and making wise decisions

The Bioland president encouraged his audience to carry on the impulses of the eco-marketing days and fight for ideals in order to reach an agreement in the end. But not with the means of majority voting, so as not to divide society into winners and losers. Speaking from his experience in the Bioland association, he said that it is necessary to learn to make wiser decisions and further develop opinion-forming processes.

According to Plagge, the new decision-making process is not to ask who is for and who is against, but to ask how strong the resistance is. A decision should only be made if no one has any more serious objections. In order to do this, concerns might have to be discussed for a long time. Against this background, the Bioland President complained that the German Government is avoiding the dispute between hurting today and hurting tomorrow even more in climate protection.