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Kathrin Muus (rural youth), Myriam Rapior (BUNDjugend)
Photo:
Carina Gräschke / BDL
There was great astonishment and applause when the Future Commission for Agriculture (ZKL) adopted a final report with a vision for sustainable agriculture in the summer.
Because the commission had managed to persuade opponents such as the farmers' association and the nature conservation association BUND to take common positions.
The youth organizations of the associations played a decisive role in promoting the dialogue.
But now young farmers and young climate activists fear that the success of the commission will fall victim to political tactics. You criticize the fact that the traffic light parties ignore the Commission's proposals for sustainable agriculture in Germany. "Above all, the Greens and the FDP see the Agriculture Future Commission as a project of the old government and refuse to anchor the recommendations in the coalition negotiations for tactical reasons," says Myriam Rapior, member of the federal board of the BUNDjugend. "That is very bitter for the social discourse."
30 organizations were represented in the Future Commission - from farmers' associations to animal and environmental protection associations.
The joint final report recommends, among other things, the end of direct payments to farms and a reduction in the use of pesticides.
The commission saw its recommendations as a guideline for coalition negotiations after the federal election.
So far, however, they have hardly played a role there, says Kathrin Muus, federal chairwoman of the Bund der Deutschen Landjugend (BDL).
The Future Commission worked on many problem areas in order to initiate a transformation process.
These reflected the breadth of society.
All parties could find themselves in it.
The trench warfare could break out again
“What new do you want to point out?
There aren't that many ways, ”says Muus, referring to the traffic light parties.
"We have to enable long-term processes." There is a great risk that, without binding goals, the common ground between the associations will soon end and the trench warfare will start all over again.
As the youngest members of the commission, Muus and Rapior made a decisive contribution to an agreement because they presented a concept of how agriculture and environmental protection can go hand in hand in the future.
»A culture of dialogue was created.
But for implementation we need politics, ”said Rapior.
The outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel invited the leadership of BUNDjugend and Bund der Deutschen Landjugend to come to the Chancellery a few days ago.
Merkel has indicated that she will endeavor to point out the successes of the commission to the next government, report Muus and Rapior.
"She feels a responsibility," says Rapior.
"If the coming coalition does not want to offend some social groups, it should initiate the transformation of agriculture and take into account the results of the commission."
