As of: March 1, 2024, 1:40 p.m
By: Lisa Mahnke
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Split
Agriculture Minister Özdemir (Greens) is on the side of the farmers when it comes to compulsory fallow land.
He receives criticism from the other side.
The debate doesn't end yet.
Berlin – Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (The Greens) has accepted the EU exemption to suspend compulsory fallow land, despite objections from his party.
Party colleague and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke put forward specific conditions for such a regulation, but without success in the traffic light coalition.
When mediating between agricultural interests and ecological party plans, Özdemir allowed himself to be drawn to one side - and is now receiving criticism from environmental movements.
Fallow land or crop rotations are necessary so that the soil can generate itself - so agriculture also depends on the preservation of the ecosystem.
According to the so-called GLÖZ-8 standard, an abbreviation for “good agricultural and ecological condition”, four percent of the arable land must actually be set aside.
The regulation was suspended in Germany last year.
The EU exemption stipulates that protein plants or catch crops could also be grown for fodder or as green manure instead of leaving the area fallow.
However, pesticides may not be used on the area.
Agreement on the GLÖZ 8 suspension of compulsory fallow land - dispute over ecological regulations for compensation
The federal government waived the cuts in the basic premium of a good 150 euros associated with the exemption by 13 to 14 euros per hectare, which were particularly important to Environment Minister Steffi Lemke.
The federal government would have wanted to use the money to bring out new eco-regulations.
A two-time pasture bonus and a bonus for low-emission manure application from 2025 were discussed.
The FDP opposed the reduction in the basic premium because agriculture “no longer has the nerve” for new rules, said deputy FDP parliamentary group leader Carina Konrad, according to Die
Zeit
.
The majority of the virtual special agriculture ministers' conference in January also decided to wait for reactions to the 2024 organic regulations.
Despite the fallow obligation not being applicable, farmers are still able to choose eco-regulation 1, i.e. additional set-aside, in their multiple application, even if the mandatory fallow requirement is waived.
Debate about sustainable agriculture continues - budget may be an obstacle to incentive policy
The Federal Agriculture Minister admitted that he would have preferred to combine the implementation of the GLÖZ 8 suspension with an increase in the budget for organic regulations.
He now wants to consult with representatives from agriculture and environmental protection on the topic of biodiversity as soon as possible.
“We already have a good blueprint for this with the proposals of the Future Commission for Agriculture, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel here,” said Özdemir in a statement published by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The Future Commission's 2021 final report primarily recommended economic incentives for organic farming.
It is therefore foreseeable that the topic of fallow land, ecosystems and sustainable agriculture is far from over.
Since the basic bonus has not been reduced, the question now arises as to where the budget for such incentives should come from, not least in view of the problems with the household budget.
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Farmers' association welcomes GLÖZ 8 suspension - environmental organizations criticize
The President of the German Farmers' Association (DBV), Joachim Rukwied, welcomed the adoption of the EU regulations: "The federal government has understood that we farmers will not accept any further disadvantage and thus a weakening of competitiveness," said a press release.
Rukwied expressed the hope that competitive equality would continue to be taken into account in political decisions in the future.
In his position as Federal Agriculture Minister, Cem Özdemir (The Greens) has to deal with tensions between two sides.
© picture alliance/dpa |
Hannes P Albert
Martin Hofstetter, agricultural officer at Greenpeace, criticized Özdemir's decision.
“The EU Commission buckled before the tractor protests like a straw at the first breath of wind,” said Hofstetter in a press release.
In a Greenpeace interview, the agricultural officer claimed that Özdemir “should have shown an edge for sustainable agriculture”.
The current regulation accelerates the extinction of species and wastes tax money that would have to be used for subsidies to provide fallow land.
It also sends a signal that radical protest and attempts at intimidation are worthwhile.
The WWF agriculture officer also criticized the decision: “The traffic light government is running after the populists and playing with the food security of tomorrow.” Sascha Müller-Kraenner, Federal Managing Director of German Environmental Aid (DUH), explained: “It is not bureaucracy that is being reduced here, but biodiversity .”
The EU level collapsed due to farmers' protests: “It gives little hope” for ecological transformation
The farmers' protests also had an impact at the EU level that climate movements could only dream of.
This is one of the reasons why environmental movements are probably very frustrated.
“The decision reflects the extraordinary circumstances facing our agricultural community.
It proves that the Commission is listening, committed and responding to needs,” said EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski in the EU Commission press release.
Not only the restrictions on compulsory fallow land, but also relaxations in pesticide regulations meant a step backwards for the European Green New Deal.
“The fact that so many top politicians in the agricultural sector are currently falling over gives little hope that Europe will still find the strength for the necessary ecological transformation,” wrote journalist Ruth Fend in a
Zeit
commentary.
(lismah)