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Munich (dpa / lby) - The Bavarian Farmers' Association (BBV) hopes, thanks to digitization and regionalization, for an adequate future for agriculture in the Free State, which is under pressure from many sides. In a theses paper on agriculture in 2040 published on Tuesday, the farmers' association assumes that in just under 20 years there will still be a million people employed in agriculture and that there will be around 100,000 farms. The prerequisite is therefore both the support of the state and the willingness of the citizens to pay more for good food.
"We want and need the support of society," said BBV President Walter Heidl. «If we want to maintain our kind of agriculture, which is highly recognized in lip service, then we need society and politics - and the consumers who are willing to pay a few cents more at the shop counter and not only buy their shopping carts according to the principle" greed is cool "fill." That is why the farmers' association wants to initiate a public debate: "This discussion is addressed to society, consumers and politics," said Heidl.
According to the thesis paper, state support will be necessary in several ways.
This includes the reward for landscape maintenance and nature conservation as well as precautions against the sale of agricultural land to corporations and investors as well as an end to the progressive urban sprawl in Bavaria.
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"We assume that the rural area will remain attractive," said Heidl.
"Thanks to digitization, other jobs can be carried out on the farms and business models can emerge that would not have been possible ten years ago."
At least in this regard, Heidl sees the experience of the pandemic as positive: “In times of Corona, we see how much can be done from home.
The prerequisite is fast and comprehensive internet. "
The paper is written against the background of the great challenges that farmers have to struggle with - not only economically and politically, but also because of the increasingly adverse natural conditions in recent years.
The number of farms in Bavaria has shrunk from 150,000 to around 100,000 in the past 20 years, mainly due to price pressure and rising costs.
Politically, farmers are under pressure from environmentalists as well as from governments and authorities: the former blame conventional agriculture for insect deaths, groundwater pollution and other environmental problems, while the latter continuously impose new requirements on farmers.
In addition, there are problems such as water shortages and drought, which so far have caused massive damage, especially in forestry, but also affect arable farmers and cattle farmers.
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"Agriculture is part of the solution, it is the only industry that can bind CO2," said Heidl on the ongoing debate about environmental and climate protection.
A warmer and drier climate in the summer months could also mean opportunities for farmers - for example in the cultivation of new crops that were previously unusual in Bavaria.
“One possibility in Bavaria would be soybean cultivation, because modern varieties can also cope with our framework conditions,” Heidl gave an example - soybeans are traditionally grown in warm regions.
"In the Dingolfing-Landau area there are a number of vegetable farmers who see a market for special crops that were not an issue for us ten years ago."
According to the farmers' association, digitalization also offers farmers the opportunity to expand the regional self-marketing of their products.
But Heidl does not want to say goodbye to the world market: "It is discussed again and again that the farmers produce export-oriented," said the BBV President.
"No: We produce high-quality products that are adapted to our location and the climatic conditions and that are also sold beyond the regional market."
Nobody blames BMW and Audi when they sell their high-quality cars internationally.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210504-99-464439 / 2
"Agriculture 2040"