Dear DLG Members,
2025, a turbulent year, is drawing to a close. It has not been a year of easy answers. The world order is shifting on its axis, political certainties are no longer looking so certain, and we are feeling each and every day just how dependent our agriculture is on global developments. Geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainties and the debate surrounding sustainability are all presenting us with challenges. Stability and progress do not emerge by themselves – we have to actively shape them. This is precisely what DLG has been doing over the past twelve months.
One of the highlights? Beyond a doubt, AGRITECHNICA in Hanover. Under the guiding theme of Touch Smart Efficiency, it showed what our industry is capable of: pure innovation. 477,000 visitors from 171 countries – these are not merely numbers, but a statement. The message is clear: agriculture is the driving force behind solutions that unify productivity, yield and sustainability. Digitalisation and automation are no longer a pipe dream, but have become reality. They offer each and every farm opportunities – provided that we seize them.
But we want to show that we are about more than just technology. We want to put a new understanding of progress into practice. Sustainability must not be regarded as regulation, but as a part of economic strength. We have therefore developed a new mission statement: sustainable productivity growth. The core of this is that competitiveness and the protection of biodiversity belong together. Productivity is not just measured in terms of yield, but also in terms of using resources responsibly. Biodiversity and climate stability have to become production factors with a value equivalent to those of soil, labour and capital.
This is not a theoretical concept. It is a mandate. And we will be taking the next step in 2026: we will be defining the mission statement in detail and filling it with life. The DLG-Wintertagung in Hanover will be a milestone: 'AI – productivity turbo for farms'. Because managing nature means making complex decisions each and every day. This is precisely where AI's strengths come into play – if we make smart use of data.
Our objective remains clear: agriculture that is economically viable, ecologically responsible and socially accepted. However, it is also clear that no policy or commission can accomplish this transformation. We can only accomplish it ourselves – with ideas, courage and vigour. The impetus will come from all of us – creative minds at companies and in the scientific field, and first and foremost from progressive farmers who demand and implement innovations.
Thank you for your commitment to the agricultural sector and specifically within DLG. Let us ensure together that German agriculture is shaped with resolve – courageously, inquisitively and with an eye to the future.
I would like to wish you all a tranquil Advent period, a merry Christmas and a successful start to the New Year!
Hubertus Paetow, DLG President
