German agriculture confronts climate, policy and market pressures

Representatives of the German agriculture sector gathered for a "Dialog am Hof" on 26 June at Trantower Agrar GmbH, with Minister for Climate Protection, Agriculture, Rural Areas and Environment Till Backhaus, farmers’ association president Karsten Trunk and industry leaders. They highlighted a deep transformation in farming, citing rising input costs, volatile commodity markets, falling producer prices and an increasingly dense regulatory framework. The discussion noted that over the past six years more than 80 pesticide active substances have been withdrawn from the EU market, with only one new approval and many pending for years, limiting farmers’ options and raising production risks. At the same time, digital tools such as GPS‑guided machinery, sensor‑based application and AI are now routine, helping to optimise inputs and support sustainability goals under the EU Green Deal and Farm‑to‑Fork strategy.

In Bavaria, farmers’ president Walter Heidl addressed a parliamentary hearing on a draft amendment to the Bavarian Climate Protection Act, warning that agriculture is among the most affected by climate change and that recent droughts have underscored the sector’s vulnerability. He called for economically viable management concepts for climate‑protection areas such as moors, criticizing a shift toward bans and shutdowns that he says hinders progress toward climate and environmental targets. Heidl stressed that preserving each hectare of agricultural land is essential for climate mitigation efforts.