Frank Rinck, May 19, 2022, Food Supply and Fertilizer

German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 20/27, pp. 3595-3596.

Herr President. Valued colleagues.

We stand before the next crisis, a crisis which puts into play the supply security of foodstuffs in Germany, and in regards to which there can no longer be room for ideological or unworldly fantasies. The AfD demands a crop-oriented fertilizer [pflanzengerechte Düngung] so as to produce the highest possible yield from our domestic fields.

Ladies and gentlemen, this should actually be self-evident. Unfortunately however, the policy in this sovereign house in the last years, and especially since the formation of the Ampel government, is rather therein intent on inducing our farmers to give up their operations and farms and on deconstructing our agriculture. There now must be an end to that! We can no longer conduct such an irresponsible policy. We need to secure the supply of our population, and beyond that we need also to be in the position to support economically weaker countries with foodstuffs so as to prevent refugee movements to Europe.

This requires, as described in our motion [Drucksache 20/1865], as intensive agriculture with crop-oriented fertilizer – and not a scarcity and shortage supply like the government strives for. A further reduction of our production would further allow prices to increase at the cost of the population. In regards the current inflation, this is scarcely bearable for the people in our homeland.

In the CDU/CSU motion, it was said that we can get along with this. It would have been nice, dear colleagues, if you had gone more into such points as, for example, point 11, where you demand that the idling of 4 percent of the agricultural area should be suspended in 2023. This unfortunately you have not now done. Yet in considering the situation, this point is exactly right and we therefore support your motion.

Unfortunately, with you the theme of fertilizer is a bit lost. We have therefore associated with a motion. Fortunately, we are represented in this house. Last Monday in the public hearing, it was quite clear that we have to expect a large deficit in the fertilizer supply, and that also there the Federal government will again not do its household duties. Herr Hemmerling, the assistant secretary-general of the Deutschen Bauernverband, very impressively set forth that the foodstuffs supply in Germany is not to be guaranteed with organic fertilizer alone, and that the mineral fertilizer supply is critical. It is fully clear that we should listen to the experts and need to immediately secure the supply with fertilizer as we have demanded in our motion.

Valued colleagues of the government, concern yourselves with the fertilizer supply, and with reliable suppliers which in regards mineral fertilizer are not to be reckoned from Russia and the Ukraine. We need to make our agriculture crisis-proof, and not whenever but now.

Herr Minister, you unfortunately are not present – I proceed however in case you follow this debate from afar – in addition please reconsider how you deal with our farmers. Our farmers are not radical people on the margins but are of the middle of society and guarantee our supply with the means of living. The German farmers do not think themselves clever but have a well-founded, practical education. I here and today demand of our Federal Agriculture Minister to apologize to the farmers whom he has insulted

            Renate Künast (Greens): What?

and to occupy himself preferably with the real problems of German agriculture, instead of insulting our farmers.

Many thanks.

 

[trans: tem]  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

Dietmar Friedhoff, May 12, 2022, Seed Variety and Food Security

German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 30/34, p. 3202.

Herr President. Valued colleagues.

It is about food security and the fight against hunger in the world, with the thereto combined maintenance of the urgently required seed variety. So that the seed of my speech falls on fruitful ground and we recognize that the theme is essentially complex, let us begin for once from the front.

Stephan Brandner (AfD): That is a good idea!

In the Bible is reported that in Eden a stream sprang forth. This stream divides into four rivers, one of which is the Euphrates, another the Tigris. In Iraq and Syria, these form the so-called Zweistromland, the Garden of Eden. Here, in the Mesopotamian flood plain is a well-watered realm. Here, the grain culture was cultivated, from here stem the oldest types of grain. All of this now unfortunately in a very brief time changes extremely.

What has happened? In the course of the Iraq War, Iraq’s existing seed bank in Abu Ghraib was destroyed. Thus in Iraq there are injunctions, proceeding from the victorious powers, which forbid the farmers to re-use the seeds. Thus hybrid plants must be used which they need to purchase from large, Western concerns, inclusive of fertilizer and pesticide. This brings the peasants to a maximum dependency and makes it too expensive for them to be able to work profitably, especially since ever more grain imports arrive in the country which are essentially cheaper. Beyond that, the water supply also is not well arranged, since in upper Iraq there are ever more reservoirs, one of which is the contested Ilisu reservoir in Turkey.

As you see, nothing in our ever faster, global world can be considered in isolation. That leads to false outcomes. On that account, it can truly be said, dear Union, that your motion is planted somewhat too short. Yet the intention is correct and sensible; on that account, we support your motion. We need to protect and strengthen the seed banks; they are after all likewise security, protection and freedom.

The fact is, 60 percent of our food stems from hybrid corn, wheat and rice plants; thus from plants which allow no seed reproduction. Meanwhile, three great concerns with their seed patents dictate the world’s food. We thus feed ourselves from the ever fewer seed holdings of ever fewer firms, which is actually fatal; since the local, domestic samenfest [pure line, open pollination] cultures are essentially more resilient against, for example, viruses and invasive species of plants. The more ur-seeds, wild seeds we have, the less becomes the likelihood of a thoroughly possible total harvest failure.

If we want to live durably and soundly, if we want to make our food system more resilient, and if we want to let the farmers and thereby the peoples of the world more freely act and organize [gestalten], then we need to not only protect and strengthen the world’s seed banks, but also actively commit to and implement the knowledge and possibilities locally. 

Thank you.

 

[trans: tem]

  

 

Frank Rinck, January 14, 2022, Farming

German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 20/12, p. 743.

Many thanks. Frau President. Valued colleagues.

The agriculture is stuck in one of the worst crises of all times: Prices which do not cover costs, considerably more expensive leases, farmer bashing, excessive fertilizer prices and much too much bureaucracy. As a farmer, I can say to you: For all the rest of the afternoon, I could tell of yet other things.

To the matter at hand. At the entry into office, the new Federal government and those responsible to the Chancellor spoke of the Great Transformation. For my part, I can only hope that at the end of this Great Transformation does not stand the end of our domestic agriculture.  

As last year the global supply chains came undone on account of the Corona virus, we saw, honorable colleagues, how susceptible are our supply chains and our economy worldwide. I certainly do not want to imagine in this place what would happen in this country if toilet paper and food were lacking in the stores. I ask you all for once to consider it.

For this reason, I can only admonish you to support the farmers, to strengthen their operations and to offer them a reasonable, economic perspective so as to secure the provisioning of our population in Germany. Turn away from the import craze and come back to the standard of “Made in Germany”, especially in regards to food! We will thereby gladly help you to create standards that take care for this, that work well with our farmers here in Germany, that enable them to produce quality, high-value and regional food without being pushed to the edge of ruin. Reasonable, crop-oriented fertilizer and an appropriate crop protection would be the necessary foundation stones fitting for this, just as fitting as planning security and guarantees for the farmers which still pay tomorrow for today’s investments.

I then need say one thing: We have previously heard some contributions regarding the swinekeepers and the prices. Ladies and gentlemen, we have unfortunately heard nothing of the African swine flu which here spreads ever further. There are nevertheless only sporadic preventive measures against this expansion. This threatens the swinekeepers throughout Germany. But good, so much on that.

Yet again on the ranchers [Weidetierhaltern]: We heard that we want to make the stalls nicer. But just for once let us begin with protecting our livestock, protecting against predators like the wolves! At best, let us lighten the burden of proof for cases of laceration [Rissvorfällen], or overturn it completely so that these ranchers also have a future which you here, ja, apparently just do not want to take into consideration.

Ideology was never a good counselor and it certainly is also not in regards the topic of wolves.

The theme of species variety we have also heard of here today. It is naturally very interesting that here we breed predatory animals which then subsequently feed on production animals [Nutztiere]. 

– Frau President, I have the time in view; I am almost done.

Last but not least, a few words on what was previously decided on here by the government and which also was absolutely negative for the German farmer: The reduction of the value-added tax assessment rate which was reduced from 10.7 to 9.5 percent. That was an absolute hit for general agricultural operations. This decision this year costs the farmers 90 million euros which the Federal government itself has quickly pocketed. Many thanks for that to the government, and from me as a farmer!

– A last sentence, then I am done. Herr Minister Özdemir, we will measure you by your actions. Create better future perspectives! We will thereby naturally support you. A sly, old country proverb says: As the farmer lives, so lives the country.

Many thanks.

 

[trans: tem]