Even the choice of words reveals that Cem Özdemir did not take his decision lightly. The Minister of Agriculture speaks of a “compromise that also hurts in one place or another”, with a view to his decision to give priority to the production of bread wheat over biodiversity.
But as with the issue of arms deliveries or the continued operation of coal-fired power plants, the war in Ukraine is forcing the Greens to jump over their own shadows.
The war in Ukraine is likely to last even longer. It is therefore not a bold forecast to assume that there will be a bottleneck in the global food shortage for the coming year, when farmers in Germany will bring in the additional grain harvest now made possible by Özdemir. It is therefore understandable that a Realo like Özdemir accepts the protests of environmentalists in order to increase grain production in Germany.
Because the suspension of the originally planned EU regulation, which provided for four percent of the areas to be set aside for all farms from 2023, can be tolerated under two conditions: the exemption must not be abused by farmers to produce additional animal feed. And it may actually only be limited to one year, as the Minister of Agriculture announced – even if the farmers’ association is drumming for a more far-reaching solution.
While the compromise may have been difficult for Özdemir, it still shows political wisdom. His concessions to the farmers’ association and the Union-led federal states could pay off for him elsewhere.
After all, Özdemir needs the support of the farmers if he wants to implement the plan together with Environment Minister Steffi Lemke to secure more agricultural products for the plate from next year and, in return, to reduce the admixture of biofuel.
Because crops such as wheat and corn can also be used to produce biofuels, biofuel secures sales for many farmers. However, rising food prices could automatically ensure that farmers produce more for the food industry in the future – and not for the tank.