Freya von Czettritz, CEO of DLG Holding GmbH, on the VLI Honorary Award, strategic direction and the role of the DLG in an industry undergoing change.
DLG Newsroom: Mrs von Czettritz, you have been awarded the prestigious Tilo von Wilmowsky Honorary Prize by the Liaison Office for Agriculture and Industry (VLI). What does this award mean to you – personally and in your role as CEO of DLG Holding GmbH?
Freya von Czettritz: The award means a lot to me personally. It is a great honour and, at the same time, confirmation of the path we have taken with the DLG in recent years. At the same time, I see the prize explicitly as an incentive to continue along this path with determination. The agricultural and food industry is facing profound changes, and we at the DLG have a responsibility to actively help shape this transformation.
It is particularly important to me that the award recognises the strategic development of the DLG. Our aim is to forge closer links between innovation, practical application and exchange across the entire value chain. The fact that this is recognised and acknowledged by the industry is a powerful motivation.
VLI Honorary Award – A prestigious prize in the agribusiness sector
With the VLI Honorary Award, Freya von Czettritz joins the ranks of high-profile figures from agribusiness, academia and the agricultural and food sector who have received this award since 2012. The prize is one of the most prestigious honours in the German agribusiness sector and is awarded annually to representatives of the industry who have rendered outstanding service to the agricultural and food value chain through exceptional commitment, strategic foresight and sustainable impact. It commemorates Tilo Freiherr von Wilmowsky, one of the founding fathers of the VLI, who recognised early on the importance of the close interconnection between agriculture and industry – a guiding principle that continues to shape our understanding of modern value chains today.
You have been co-leading the DLG alongside Dr Lothar Hövelmann for almost four years. What strategic decisions do you look back on?
When we took on our roles, it was obvious to us that the DLG was in a phase of further development. We wanted to position the organisation even more clearly as an international platform for knowledge transfer, innovation and exchange.
In recent years, we have therefore sharpened the DLG’s professional profile and given our activities a stronger international focus. At the same time, we have further developed our role as a testing and certification organisation and provided new impetus for the sector, for example through cross-thematic initiatives or by expanding our specialist media.
Another key focus has been on promoting young professionals in the agricultural sector and strengthening diversity. All these developments follow a common guiding principle: the DLG should provide guidance and act as a partner for the agribusiness sector, setting the agenda and encouraging dialogue.
Agriculture is at a crucial turning point. What priorities is the DLG setting to ensure the agricultural and food industry is well-positioned for the future?
We are currently witnessing a period of profound transformation. The demands on the sector are growing – yet at the same time, new opportunities are emerging through technology, digitalisation and changing market conditions.
Our approach is to bring these developments together. We combine specialist expertise with practical experience from the field whilst also introducing new technological perspectives. Digitalisation and the use of data are playing an increasingly important role in this.
A key priority is to strengthen the links between the various stakeholders along the value chain. Through initiatives such as the Arable Farming Platform, we are creating spaces for collaboration where joint solutions can emerge. In our view, it is crucial not to think in isolation, but to keep the entire chain in mind – from the field to the consumer.
The DLG understands itself as a platform. What does that mean in practical terms for your work?
For me, being a platform means, above all, bringing people, ideas and perspectives together. The challenges facing the sector cannot be solved in isolation. They require close collaboration between agriculture, industry, science and society.
The DLG creates precisely these spaces for dialogue and cooperation. This happens at our trade fairs as well as in our expert committees and through our media. Our aim is not only to transfer knowledge, but also to provide impetus and initiate concrete solutions.
International networking also plays a major role in this. Agriculture has long been embedded in global contexts, and solutions must therefore be thought of in international contexts.
About the person
Freya von Czettritz holds a degree in business administration and has been with the DLG since 2008. From 2009 onwards, she was responsible for AGRITECHNICA, the world’s leading trade fair for agricultural technology. She developed the fair into the leading international platform for innovative agricultural technology and modern crop production. Since 2016, she has headed the Crop Production Trade Fairs division at the DLG, including the leading international brands AGRITECHNICA, DLG Field Days, DLG Forest Days, PotatoEurope and AGRITECHNICA ASIA. As CEO of DLG Holding GmbH, she has been driving forward the professionalisation of the DLG and the integration of agriculture and food on an international scale since 2022.
You are also strongly committed to supporting the next generation in the agricultural sector and promoting greater diversity. Why is this a strategic priority for the DLG?
The sector’s future viability depends crucially on whether we can inspire young people to engage with these issues. At the same time, we need a range of perspectives to cope with the pace of transformation.
It is important to me that we specifically create spaces where new ideas can emerge. Initiatives such as the Female Agri Fellows demonstrate how important it is to raise the profile of women in the sector and to support them. Diversity leads to better decisions and strengthens innovative capacity.
Looking ahead to the coming years: what inspires you?
I am driven by the conviction that we at the DLG can make a significant contribution to the future of the agricultural and food industries. For me, the VLI Honorary Award is not an end in itself, but rather a milestone. It confirms that we are on the right track and motivates us to continue along this path with determination.
Our goal remains to further develop the DLG as a strong, international platform that enables innovation, makes knowledge accessible and connects people. That is precisely where I see our central mission.
