As the organizer of Agritechnica, the DLG (German Agricultural Society) welcomed around 1,700 international guests, including numerous delegations from outside Germany. The central role of modern agricultural machinery regarding the challenges of sustainable agriculture is reflected in this year’s leading theme “Green Productivity” at Agritechnica. The world’s leading trade fair shows that only innovations have the potential to harmonize productivity with resource and climate protection globally.
Agriculture and the agricultural technology sector are under pressure, according to DLG President Hubertus Paetow. “For a long time, the primary goal for farmers, myself included, was to supply a growing population with sufficient food. Today, the markets not only place the highest demands on the quantity, price and quality of the product, but also on the sustainability of the entire process chain. A sustainable agricultural sector must conserve natural resources but there is no simple solution to this. It takes knowledge, skill and innovation to bring about change. It has always been technical and professional progress that, in addition to increasing productivity, could improve the conservation of resources, such as reduced tillage or digital systems for sectional area management,” said the DLG President, emphasizing the importance of technical innovation to solve problems.
Leading global venue for innovation
Agritechnica is the world’s leading innovation hub for the agricultural sector. As a showcase and professional forum, the world’s leading agricultural machinery trade fair provides answers to the challenges of both productivity and resource conservation in agriculture. “This is where pioneers, visionaries and experts from all over the world come together to present, discover and discuss the latest technologies, solutions and ideas for agriculture. Agritechnica is the international driving force for a sustainable, efficient and innovative agriculture,” added Paetow.
In a world in which the demand for food, energy and other goods is continually increasing, the value and finite nature of natural resources must not be ignored. It is therefore imperative to develop intelligent strategies and processes worldwide to reconcile increasing productivity with resource and climate protection. “The sustainable and efficient use of resources is not only environmentally responsible, but also makes economic sense, making it possible to increase productivity, reduce costs and minimize environmental impact all at the same time. By investing in innovation, we are helping to protect our environment, while simultaneously increasing the productivity of our agricultural systems,” emphasized Paetow.
Securing competitiveness – promoting innovation
Despite substantial progress in environmental and climate protection, Europe should retain independent basic supplies, food production included. However, this independence requires regulatory conditions that do not hinder companies from further developing their global competitiveness.
“Germany’s agriculture is an engine of innovation of global importance. However, this is only true as long as the political framework does not call international integration and competitiveness into question. In an increasingly interconnected and globalized agricultural sector, German agricultural engineering plays a key role in the development and implementation of forward-looking technologies, sustainable practices and efficient production methods. It provides impetus beyond national borders for the global challenges in the agricultural sector. To fully exploit this potential, it’s crucial that we maintain our competitiveness on the global market and continuously develop to meet both national and international requirements,” emphasized the DLG President.
