February 11, 2011
The International Green Week in Berlin is not only the world’s largest consumer fair for agriculture, food and horticulture, but with its interesting supporting programme has also developed into the most important European platform for the discourse on agricultural policy. From 20 – 22 January, this year’s Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) focused on the topic of „Trade and Global Food Security: Global – Regional – Local”.
One of the highlights of the GFFA-programme was the International Business Panel, which was supported by K+S. Under the title “From Farmers to Consumers: Business Initiatives for Sustainable Value Chains” the event’s hosts, the German Agricultural Society (DLG), the Federation of German Food and Drink Industries (BVE), the German Farmers’ Union (DBV), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations (OA) had gathered representatives of international companies and organisations for a discussion. K+S board member Joachim Felker was one of the panellists, contributing on the topic of “Partnership and Cooperation as Key Success Factors”.
K+S KALI GmbH supports the International Business Panel of this year’s Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), within the scope of the 2011 International Green Week in Berlin (Photograph: Mareike Tocha)
“Value chains are an important factor to us as farmers. They do, however, not begin with cultivation, but include a wealth of earlier stages, such as plant research or the development of fertilizers”, said Márcio Lopes de Freitas, President of the Brazilian Cooperative Union. In his opinion, the fact that in Brazilian cooperatives small farmers work side by side with large enterprises is one indicator of their strength. “Large enterprises can create a momentum, that can help small farmers to get going.”
In order to develop and implement long-term concepts, Joachim Felker, member of the Board of Executive Directors of the K+S Aktiengesellschaft, considers political partnerships on a regional and supra-regional level desirable. In his opinion, these partnerships are decisive for the creation of sustainably functioning value chains. Custom-tailored solutions are necessary in order to ensure global food security. “All over the world, farmers still need to learn how to optimally fertilize their plants.”
Joachim Felker (centre), Member of the Board of Executive Directors of the K+S Aktiengesellschaft, Michael Brockenhuus-Schack, President of the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Márcio Lopes de Freitas, President of the Brazilian Cooperative Union (OCB) and facilitator Alex Puissant, in a discussion on the topic of „Partnership and Cooperation as Key Success Factors“ (Photograph: Mareike Tocha)
Ken Ash, Director of the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate, drew a positive scenario. Prices for agricultural products are currently around 40% above the 2007/2008 levels, while the demand for food by threshold countries will continue to rise, as will the demand for biofuels. In order to benefit from this development, farmers should invest in increasing their production.
This year’s International Business Panel exemplified that industrial partners can already today contribute to sustainable agriculture and development. Value chains, however, are only sustainable and successful in the long run if all participants as well as governments contribute actively, taking care to create suitable political framework conditions.
