Farming or cultivation of the land to grow crops or raise livestock. - Organic farming is experiencing advancement in the local area of MV.
The target of 20% eco-friendly farming in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern by 2026 seems ambitious but feasible according to the Federal Association for Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND). The development of eco-friendly farming in MV has seen an encouraging growth in land until early 2024, as stated by BUND's agricultural expert Burkhard Roloff to the German Press Agency. However, this progress is not enough to hit the ambitious target next year. Immediate coordinated action is required.
One significant hurdle in achieving a steeper rise in land is that thriving or new organic farms face disadvantages in terms of rental and particularly the purchase of freshly available land. "Non-agricultural investors and operators of agro-photovoltaic facilities can more easily rent and buy new land than organic farms with their lower economic profits," said Roloff.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Schwerin Ministry of Agriculture reported an increase of 5,680 hectares in cultivated ecological area to 205,374 hectares in 2023. The trend continued in January 2024 with an additional 4,553 hectares, thanks to the application for ecological support.
The transformation of organic produce is at a slower pace than the land growth
69 agricultural firms submitted applications for funding as conversion businesses on January 1st. About 16% of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's agricultural land is currently being farmed organically. For the new funding period, a total of 230 million euros has been allocated for the remuneration of the ecological economic system.
Roloff of BUND highlighted disparities. The processing of organic products in the region is greatly lagging behind the land growth. There are no regional, artisan organic farms in MV that can process the organic products produced, like mills producing organic cereals or producing organic potato chips, vegetables, and fruit. The long-awaited establishment and growth of value chains has not progressed, criticized Roloff.
The Ministry of Agriculture emphasizes that ecological farming holds a high standing in the agricultural policy of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state government, as explicitly mentioned and included in the coalition agreements of the state government. Despite the challenging economic conditions over the years, the ecology sector has persisted.
On a personal note, BUND's Roloff insisted that the role of eco-friendly farming in climate protection must not be overlooked. "A century of practical experience in eco-friendly farming in Germany and current scientific research findings demonstrate that eco-friendly farming is an established cultivation method that enhances overall climate resilience, or the ability of agriculture to withstand the effects of the climate crisis," he said. Each euro of funding for the promotion of eco-friendly farming and every hectare converted to eco-friendly farming contributes to more climate protection in agriculture.
