In view of the war in the Ukraine and rising energy prices worldwide, the Hessian Farmers' President Karsten Schmal is calling for an expansion of bioenergy.

"Biogas is needed more urgently than ever before to ensure security of supply," he said in a statement from the association at a meeting with politicians in northern Hesse.

So far, the potential that farmers could offer to reduce the need to import fossil fuels has not been used.

"With the latest EEG proposal, agricultural biogas production is slowed down even further," he criticizes.

Patricia Andreae

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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So-called biogenic substances are the most important renewable energy sources in Hesse, even ahead of wind power: almost seven percent of the energy consumed in Hesse is now generated from biogas.

In view of the planned nationwide regulations for the approval of wind turbines and the expansion of open-space photovoltaics, Schmal warned that competition with agricultural land could arise, which must be avoided at all costs in view of the necessary food supply.

"Due to the war in Ukraine and climate change, food security has once again achieved a whole new status on the social agenda and shows us that supplying the world's population with food cannot be taken for granted," said Schmal.

Release ecological priority areas

But he is not only critical of the competition for the generation of solar energy, but also of the restrictions on agriculture from Berlin.

"We have no understanding that the requirements from Brussels for the release of fallow land and ecological priority areas for full use, including the possibility of using plant protection products, are not being implemented in Germany," said Schmal.

Valuable potential for food production is thus wasted.

Politicians must introduce short and long-term measures to secure the food supply and to contain costs, demanded Schmal, who runs a dairy farm himself.

Agriculture, but also the entire food production chain, is faced with massive cost increases, especially for energy and fertilizers, and with logistics problems, adds Schmal.

Therefore, difficulties for the industry are not acceptable.