Dear Friends of the Global Food Summit,
Ladies and Gentlemen, 

2024 will be an exciting year for the transformation of agriculture. Here are a few highlights:

In Germany, farmers are protesting because the regulations for producers are becoming ever stricter, making them less competitive. Other "trades" related to agriculture, such as the logistics sector, are joining in. 

At the IGW, activists from "Last Generation" loudly try to disrupt a discussion between young farmers and CDU chairman Friedrich Merz, but find that they are not welcome. 

On January 24, the European Parliament's Environment Committee voted in favor of a proposal to introduce a new regulatory framework for new genome technologies (NGTs), which currently fall under the highly restrictive framework for genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

On the subject of cell-cultured meat, the Council discussed a motion by delegations from 13 EU countries on January 23. They call on "the Commission to ensure independent and scientifically sound information and to counter misleading greenwashing campaigns".

Some states in the USA have also taken initiatives to ban cellulose meat.
 
Australia, Asia-Pacific, the UK, Switzerland and Israel, on the other hand, have rolled out the red carpet for cellulose companies. 

The catering and food manufacturer, the Schörghuber Group in Munich, presented a study on 25.1. which shows that the majority of young people from generations Y and Z are mainly optimistic about the future.  

All of this condensed in just 14 days, fresh on the table of the International Green Week in Berlin. 

And now, please, an emotion-free, structured discussion about the transformation of agriculture in Germany and how it can function more sustainably and still be efficient.

We need practical, forward-looking solutions - not morally inflated political approaches or amateurish cost-cutting measures.

I am delighted to be able to present India as a new powerhouse and start-up center in the newsletter every month from now on. From next year, India will be at the center of the Global Food Summit: Third largest global market, twelfth largest market for biotechnology, the first country to have a Ministry of Biotechnology (since 1986) and one of the largest agricultural research systems in the world. 
We can certainly learn a lot about the transformation of agriculture from this most populous country in the world.

With kind regards,

Dr. Daniel Kofahl 
Nutrition sociologist and office manager of the Office for Agricultural Policy and Food Culture (APEK) in Hesse. 

1. Mr. Kofahl, we have just witnessed the large-scale protest by farmers in Berlin, the culmination of many regional weeks of action. You get the impression that long pent-up frustration has broken free. For years, farmers have found themselves caught between social and moral expectations. On the one hand, agriculture and food have become an expression of individual lifestyles and political, often ideological convictions. Recently, there have been citizens' councils that make food recommendations, while on the other hand over 80 percent of Germans show solidarity with farmers - is this great interest in the agricultural sector more of a detriment or an opportunity for farmers? 
 
A great deal of interest in agriculture and agricultural issues is first of all pleasing, because food production and landscape conservation are the very foundations of our lives. It also signals that these activities are accorded an importance that justifies them receiving the precious commodity of "attention". 

This dedication and investment of attention, even from full-blooded urbanites or agricultural laypeople, can contribute to the connection between the countryside and the city if it is first accepted that there is a lot to learn about agriculture and agricultural topics. Low-threshold educational opportunities such as well-researched journalistic articles, serious podcasts or public science can also be used to get an idea of the issues and developments currently affecting agriculture. 
 
The increased interest becomes problematic when it leads to amateurs trying to solve the complexity of food production, agriculture, agricultural economics, the farming environment and so on off the cuff. The complexity of the issues and all the resulting questions are simplified with everyday wisdom, moralizing or knee-jerk demands. In doing so, people consider themselves to be advisors or experts who, objectively speaking, overestimate their knowledge of the subject matter. A subject that is not easy to decide, even for long-time practitioners or academic scientists who have been working on it for a long time.

India is on its way to becoming a world power. Around 1.43 billion people already live there today, more than in China. India's economy is growing rapidly. In four years, the Indian economy will have overtaken Germany and Japan. The country is currently in fifth place and aims to be the third-largest economy in the world by 2030.
The main growth drivers are the large cities and the innovation hubs that the government is building and expanding everywhere, specializing in biotechnology. 

There is no way around India in the future. That is why there will now be an India special in every Global Food Summit newsletter. 

The numbers are impressive. In India - as of 2023 - there are around 100,000 state-recognized start-ups and 111 unicorns with a value of USD 340.80 billion. Over 21,500 new start-ups were founded in 2022 alone. 
Most unicorns and innovative start-ups are located in the country's urban centers, particularly in Bengaluru (state of Karnataka), the capital region around New Delhi and Mumbai (state of Maharashtra).
India is now the third largest start-up cluster in the world. With economic growth of around 6.5 percent per year, the country is well on its way to overtaking Germany and Japan economically in the next two years. 

Since 1960, global food production has increased by 390%, while land use has only increased by 10%. Nevertheless, food systems are responsible for 21 to 37% of greenhouse gas emissions. Farmers need access to technologies that increase yields, income and soil health while protecting the environment.

International scientists and company representatives will present the latest findings and discuss ways in which sustainable solutions can be implemented profitably. 

Registration and further information at: https://icabr.net/icabr-conference-2024/

The New Food Festival Stuttgart from February 29 to March 1, 2024 offers inspiration, training, exchange and networking for start-ups and innovators along the entire food value chain from field to fork. Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture of the Federal Republic of Germany, will be represented, as will Frank Nopper, Lord Mayor of the state capital Stuttgart, and Dr. Patrick Rapp MdL, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg. 

The topics range from "Can we still master the agri-food transformation before the climate changes our food system?" to "Digital farming vs. regenerative agriculture" or "Will the future of food come from the bioreactor?".
In break-out sessions, representatives from the retail sector and investors will give valuable tips to start-ups and young entrepreneurs. 
Detailed information and registration at https://newfoodfestival-stuttgart.de/


(Above: Mark Leinemann President crowdfoods & Founder MR. WOM - Word of Mouth & Collaborative Marketing)