China and Germany are joining forces in agriculture to cultivate a greener future. By sharing knowledge and expertise, along with the support of companies, they're paving the way for a more secure and sustainable food system for the future.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Chongqing on Sunday, kicking off his three-day visit to China. This is also the second time he has visited China since taking office as German chancellor in late 2021. Scholz is being accompanied by a delegation consisting of three cabinet ministers from the environment, agriculture and transportation sectors, as well as senior executives from renowned companies.
Many German enterprises are confident in the Chinese market and are actively exploring potential for cooperation with the Chinese side.
"China and Germany have a good track record for agricultural collaboration. Bayer [is] a life science company. We have business in healthcare and agriculture. Globally, our business in healthcare and agriculture is about 50 percent versus 50 percent. But that ratio in China today [is] 90 percent healthcare versus 10 percent of agriculture. So, I think in agriculture, we have more potential and more work to do," said Gao Yong, vice president of Bayer China, a German pharma giant.
One of the world's leading manufacturers of agricultural machinery, CLAAS is headquartered in Germany. The company offers a diverse range of products in China, including large and medium horsepower tractors, Zhang Jinwang, managing director of Agricultural Machinery Trading (Beijing) Co., Ltd. with the company, said.
"We see [much potential] in food security, in climate change, in sustainable agriculture and green agriculture. In these [areas], we see there is development potential in China. There are technologies available in Germany, and there are also areas where both countries can benefit. For example, in green agriculture, for example, digital farming or smart farming, where really both countries can benefit," said Zhang.
"I think a lot has been happening, especially in the area of research with institutes from Germany and China collaborating on very important issues together. To give you just some examples, for example, in the city of Potsdam, there is a German institute, the ATB (Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy) which is working together with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences on issues related to animal friendly agriculture, tackling manual, tackling emissions. And together, researchers from both institutes are also working on the IPCC report drafting important international policies, which shows what can be achieved when both countries work together," said Michaela Boehme, deputy managing director of the Sino-German Agricultural Centre (DCZ).
Experts also say both Germany and China share a common goal, which is ensuring food security and providing sufficient, healthy, nutritious food to everyone, while at the same time protecting the natural resources.
China, Germany strengthen agricultural cooperation to cultivate greener future
