The Committee on Food and Agriculture 2 “The Committee on Food and Agri- culture deals with a wide range of issues. Its 38 members work to promote a sustainable agri-food sector, to boost family farms, and to ensure that rural areas continue to offer a good quality of life. Promot- ing healthy food, enhancing animal welfare and securing the future viability of the forestry and fishing sectors, horticulture and wine-​ growing are all subjects which ­feature on the Committee’s agenda, as well as promoting world food security. The Committee’s shared aim is to boost society’s apprecia- tion of the services farmers provide and the safe and high-quality food they produce.”

Alois Gerig, CDU/CSU Chairman of the Committee on Food and Agriculture

3 The German ’s decisions are prepared by its committees, which are estab- lished at the start of each elec- toral term. Four of them are stipulated by the Basic Law, the German constitution: the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Defence Committee, the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union and the Petitions Committee. The Budget Committee and the Committee for the Rules of Procedure are also required by law. The spheres of respon- sibility of the committees essentially reflect the Federal Government’s distribution of ministerial portfolios. This enables Parliament to scruti- nise the government’s work effectively.

The Bundestag committees The German Bundestag sets political priorities of its own by establishing additional committees for specific sub- jects, such as sport, cultural affairs or tourism. In addition, special bodies such as parlia- mentary advisory councils, The committees discuss and committees of inquiry or deliberate on items referred study commissions can also to them by the plenary. They be established. The commit- also have the right to take up tees are composed of mem- issues on their own initiative, bers of all the parliamentary allowing them to set priorities groups, reflecting the balance in the parliamentary debate. of these groups in the German When necessary, they draw Bundestag. The distribution on external expertise – usu- of the chairs and deputy ally by holding public hear- chairs among the parliamen- ings. At the end of a commit- tary groups also reflects their tee’s deliberations, a majority relative strengths in the ple- of its members adopt a rec­om- nary. In the current electoral mendation for a decision and term, the committees have a report, which serve as the between nine and 49 mem- basis for the plenary’s deci- bers. sion.

5 The Committee on Food and Agriculture has 38 members and is chaired by (CDU/CSU), with Carina ­Konrad (FDP) as his deputy. The Committee members deal with a wide spectrum of issues relating to food and agriculture, as well as con- sumer health protection. Although the latter issue is not part of the Committee’s name, key aspects of it fall within the Committee’s remit, including consumer health protection in relation to food and consumer products (such as clothing, cleaning and maintenance products, cos- metics, toys and tobacco ­products). The Committee is the parliamentary counterpart of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

The Committee on Food and Agriculture The topic of “food” in the Committee’s name draws together issues of all kinds relating to healthy food, nutri- tion education, the handling and sale of food, food safety and quality monitoring, food labelling and food research. The German agri-food sector’s opportunities in the global value chain, world food secu- rity and international agricul- tural cooperation are also part of this policy field. Numerous regulations and society, and starts in child checks ensure that the food day care centres and schools. which ends up on supermar- In this context, the Committee ket shelves is safe to eat. It is focuses in particular on the also important for consumers food policy pursued by the to know what they are buying: Federal Government and the meaningful, pragmatic label- Federal Ministry of Food and ling must enable them to see Agriculture. It is essential to what ingredients or allergens find the right and appropriate are contained in foodstuffs. response to the growing shift Then there are eating habits: to foodstuffs being traded the question of what consti- globally, to new ingredients tutes “healthy food” has to be and products coming onto considered from a very young the market, to the potential age. Encouraging children to emergence of new pathogens, develop a varied and balanced or to changes in consumers’ diet is an important task for eating habits.

13 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ CDU/CSU 8 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ SPD 5 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ AfD 4 ■ ■ ■ ■ FDP 4 ■ ■ ■ ■ Party 4 ■ ■ ■ ■ /The Greens

Number of members: 38 Chairman: Alois Gerig, CDU/CSU Deputy Chairwoman: , FDP

7 standards in animal hus- bandry, approaches to dealing with animal diseases, and The topic of “agriculture” in appropriate and environmen- the Committee’s name refers tally safe use of crop protec- to its parliamentary responsi- tion products and fertilisers, bility for national agricultural as well as hunting, which policy and its role in scruti- contributes to the conserva- nising the European Union’s tion of animal and plant habi- common agricultural and fish- tats. The Committee’s deliber- eries policy. The Committee’s ations also cover wood, tasks include supporting rural among other things as a regions and social policy for renewable construction mate- the agricultural sector. Agri- rial, and fishing, including culture in is still aquaculture and maritime dominated by family farms. policy. Naturally, the policy Agriculture stands for animals field of agriculture also covers and plants, forestry and hunt- the major economic issues ing, the climate and the envi- relating to the national imple- ronment, organic farming mentation of the EU’s Com- and renewable raw materials. mon ​Agricultural Policy (CAP) Agriculture means crop farm- and Common Fisheries Policy ing, horticulture and wine-​ (CFP). In the current electoral growing. The maintenance term, one particularly impor- of cultivated landscapes and tant issue will be the negotia- efforts to enhance quality of tions on the design of the CAP life in villages and rural areas in the next funding period also fall within this part of the from 2021 onwards. This is Committee’s remit. Relevant especially true against the issues also include the social backdrop of the United King- security arrangements for dom’s impending exit from agricultural workers, the use the EU (Brexit). With regard to of biomass as a renewable the CFP, the Committee seeks energy source, animal feed, to ensure that the sustainabil- animal protection, welfare ity principle is upheld across and health, high welfare the board in the management

8 A large proportion of the items of business for which the Committee is the lead of all fish stocks, in order to committee are bills, usually safeguard the long-term future introduced by the Federal of the German fishing sector, Government. There are also fish trade and fish-processing a large number of motions industry. The digital revolu- tabled by the parliamen- tion, or in other words the use tary groups in the Bundes- of new information and com- tag. These deal with matters munication technology in the such as genetically modi- agricultural sector, is of grow- fied products, approaches to ing importance in the Com- plant protection products, the mittee’s work. The Committee protection of bees, precau- supports and scrutinises the tions to prevent outbreaks of policies pursued by the Fed- animal diseases, changes to eral Ministry of Food and land management and utilisa- Agriculture. It is generally tion in eastern Germany, and the lead committee in the adapting approaches to nutri- Bundestag for matters relating ents in order to protect the to food, agricultural, forestry environment. The Commit- and fisheries policy. In addi- tee also regularly requests tion, it is consulted by other briefings from the Federal committees, such as the Com- Government, on the basis of mittee on Economic Affairs inter­pellations tabled by the and Energy, the Committee parliamentary groups, and on Labour and Social Affairs, discusses the Federal Govern- the Committee on the Envi- ment’s reports; these include ronment, Nature Conservation the Forest Report, the Animal and Nuclear Safety or the Welfare Report, the Agricul- Finance Committee, when tural Policy Report, the Food they deal with initiatives Policy Report, and the report which touch on the remit of on the Federal Government/ the Committee on Food and Länder Joint Task for the Agriculture. Improvement of Agricultural

9 Structures and Coastal Pro­ tection. In the case of items referred to the Committee as the lead committee, the Com- mittee prepares recommen­ Employment, Social Policy, dations and reports for the Health and Consumer Affairs plenary, on the basis of which Council when it comes to the Bundestag as a whole issues of consumer health takes its decision. When the protection. The Committee Committee on Food and Agri- also has a role to play in rela- culture is asked for its opin- tion to international coopera- ion on an item, it submits its tion (regarding free trade recommendations to the lead agreements, for example), committee, which takes them global trade (with regard to into account in its delibera- the World Trade Organization) tions. or the world food situation The Committee devotes a (for example as part of eco- great deal of time to EU items nomic cooperation and devel- – draft regulations, directives, opment assistance). More communications, green than 800 million people are papers and much more – and still suffering from hunger to the Federal Government’s and malnutrition – an unac- reports on its activities within ceptable situation which has the Council of the EU, espe- been further exacerbated by cially the preparations for the consequences of climate and follow-up to the meetings change. The Committees of the Agriculture and Fisher- seeks not only to respond to ies Council, which deals with political and humanitarian subjects such as maritime pol- challenges, but also to set pri- icy and agricultural exports, orities of its own. How can but also the meetings of the new plant breeding technolo-

10 gies (including “green genetic engineering”) play a part in solving food problems? How can Germany’s domestic markets be safeguarded and improved without holding back the development of agri- cultural structures in develop- ing countries and emerging economies? These issues are very important to the Commit- tee members. Dealing with all of the items Committee members to which land on the Committee form their own impression members’ desks requires a of a ­subject. In addition, the wealth of detailed knowledge. Committee sends delegations, But no matter how well-​pre- normally consisting of nine of pared they are, the members its members, on trips abroad cannot clarify and resolve all to gather information about issues and problems simply current issues, developments by studying the documenta- and challenges in the field of tion. For this reason, in-depth food and agricultural policy talks are regularly held – often in the countries and regions by the rapporteurs of the par- they visit. After returning to liamentary groups – with , the members of the experts, representatives of delegation report back to associations, (grassroots) initi- the Committee about the trip. atives and non-governmental In turn, representatives of for- organisations, and with aca- eign parliaments and govern- demics and researchers. Con- ments are often keen to hold sultations and public hearings talks with the Committee with experts are another valu- members during visits to the able tool which enables the Bundestag.

11 Carina Konrad, FDP Alois Gerig, Deputy Chairwoman, CDU/CSU FDP spokeswoman on Chairman the Committee Farmer, manager, Agricultural specialist, b. 30 Jan. 1956 b. 19 Sep. 1982 in Höpfingen; in , Hunsrück; married; married; three children. three children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2009 since 2017

Committee members The 38 members of the Committee on Food and Agriculture

12 Dr , , , CDU/CSU CDU/CSU CDU/CSU Agricultural specialist, Farmer, Executive, lawyer, b. 17 Nov. 1952 b. 9 Mar. 1963 b. 23 July 1973 in Ehlerstorf; in Oberhochstatt, in Löningen; married; Weißenburg. married; two children. Bundestag Member three children. Bundestag Member from 2004 to 2005 Bundestag Member since 2017 and since 2013 since 2017

Katharina Landgraf, Hermann Färber, CDU/CSU Hans-Georg CDU/CSU Land-improvement von der Marwitz, Farmer, engineer, CDU/CSU b. 26 Mar. 1963 b. 24 Feb. 1954 Farmer, in Böhmenkirch, in Kirchengel, b. 8 Apr. 1961 Baden-Württemberg; Thuringia; in Heidelberg; married; married; married; five children. four children. four children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2013 in 1990 and since 2005 since 2009

13 Johannes Röring, , CDU/CSU CDU/CSU CDU/CSU spokesman Specialist in home on the Committee , economics, Farmer, CDU/CSU b. 16 Oct. 1955 b. 16 May 1959 Farmer, in Lauf an der Pegnitz; in Vreden; b. 9 Mar. 1976 widowed; married; in ; three children. four children. unmarried. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2002 since 2005 since 2013

Kees de Vries, CDU/CSU Agricultural , Hans-Jürgen Thies, ­entrepreneur, CDU/CSU CDU/CSU b. 30 Aug. 1955 Agricultural specialist, Lawyer, in Nibbixwoud, b. 29 June 1964 b. 11 Aug. 1955 the Netherlands; in Weißenfels; in Celle; married; unmarried. married. six children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2009 since 2017 since 2013

14 , , SPD , SPD Workplace ergonomics SPD Public administration specialist, Police officer, specialist, b. 13 Apr. 1965 b. 25 July 1958 b. 9 Dec. 1967 in Magdeburg; in Cleveland, in Emden; married; Ohio, USA; married; two children. one child. five children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2013 since 2013

Rainer Spiering, SPD SPD spokesman on the Committee , , Vocational school SPD SPD teacher, Skilled port worker, Housewife, b. 27 Jan. 1956 b. 14 Feb. 1966 b. 9 Aug. 1952 in Dissen in Bremerhaven; in Alstätte; (formerly Erpen); married; married; married; one child. two children. three children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2013 since 2013

15 Carsten Träger, , SPD , AfD Communications SPD Education specialist, specialist, Lawyer, b. 20 Sep. 1969 b. 25 Oct. 1973 b. 11 July 1983 in Dillingen in Fürth; in Paderborn; an der Donau; married; married; married; two children. one child. five children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2013 since 2013 since 2017

Franziska Gminder, AfD Business administrator, , , b. 4 Feb. 1945 AfD AfD in Gablonz Retired teacher, Communications an der Neiße b. 30 Mar. 1940 specialist, (now Jablonec in Woopen, b. 29 Mar. 1974 nad Nisou); ; in Räckelwitz; married; married; married; three children. six children. two children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2017 since 2017

16 , AfD AfD spokesman , on the Committee , FDP Self-employed, FDP Civil engineer, b. 8 Nov. 1977 Industrial engineer, b. 5 Apr. 1951 in Dingolfing; b. 19 Mar. 1987 in Gronau (Westphalia); married; in Vilsbiburg; widowed; two children. unmarried. three children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2017 since 2017

Heidrun Bluhm, The Left Party Dr Gero Architectural Clemens Hocker, ­draughtswoman, , FDP social scientist, The Left Party Economist, b. 18 Jan. 1958 Lawyer, b. 30 June 1975 in Schwerin; b. 16 Jan. 1980 in ; divorced; in Hamburg; married. two children. married. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2005 since 2017

17 Dr , The Left Party , , The Left Party Alliance 90/The Greens The Left Party ­spokeswoman Alliance 90/The Greens Agricultural specialist, on the Committee spokesman b. 7 Dec. 1958 Veterinarian, on the Committee in Bad Frankenhausen, b. 24 Sep. 1960 Agricultural specialist, Thuringia; in Schmalkalden, b. 8 July 1964 married; Thuringia; in Göppingen; two children. married; married; Bundestag Member two children. two children. from 1998 to 2002 Bundestag Member Bundestag Member and since 2005 since 2005 since 2011

Markus Tressel, , Alliance 90/The Greens Renate Künast, Alliance 90/The Greens Party manager Alliance 90/The Greens Farmer, at Land level, Lawyer, b. 12 Jan. 1953 b. 17 Apr. 1977 b. 15 Dec. 1955 in ; in ; in Recklinghausen; married; one child. married; married. Bundestag Member two children. Bundestag Member from 2002 to 2005 Bundestag Member since 2002 and since 2009 since 2009

18 19 Information online

The Committee on Food and Agriculture www.bundestag.de/en/committees/a10

The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture www.bmel.de/EN

The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety www.bvl.bund.de/EN

The Federal Office for Agriculture and Food www.ble.de/EN

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment www.bfr.bund.de/en

The Julius Kühn Institute – Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants www.julius-kuehn.de/en

The Friedrich Loeffler Institute – Federal Research Institute for Animal Health www.fli.de/en

The Max Rubner Institute – Federal Research Centre for Nutrition and Food www.mri.bund.de/en

The Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute – Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries www.thuenen.de/en

The Federal Centre for Food and Nutrition www.bzfe.de

20 Contact details for the Committee Secretariat

Deutscher Bundestag Ausschuss für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft Platz der Republik 1 11011 Berlin Tel.: +49 30 227-32580 Fax: +49 30 227-36022 Email: [email protected]

21 Published by: German Bundestag, Public Relations Division Coordination: Robert Schönbrodt Texts: Georgia Rauer; revised by: Committees Directorate (p. 4 – 5), Secretariat of the Committee on Food and Agriculture (p. 6 – 21) Edited by: Marianne Wollenweber Translated by: Language Service of the German Bundestag, in cooperation with Emma Hardie Design: Marc Mendelson Bundestag eagle: Created by Professor Ludwig Gies, revised in 2008 by büro uebele Photos: p. 2 Deutscher Bundestag (DBT) / ​Linus Lintner Fotografie; p. 8–9, 10, 19 DBT / ​Marco Urban; p. 11 DBT / ​Simone M. Neumann; p. 23 DBT / ​studio kohlmeier Portrait photos: p. 3, 12 Alois Gerig / ​Laurence Chaperon (Alois Gerig); p. 12 DBT / ​Inga Haar (Carina Konrad); p. 13 DBT / ​Julia Nowak (Michael von Abercron); DBT / ​Achim Melde (Artur Auernhammer); Silvia Breher / ​ Jan Kopetzky (Silvia Breher); Andreas Essig (Hermann Färber); / ​Jan Kopetzky (Katharina Landgraf); Hans-Georg von der Marwitz / ​ Laurence Chaperon (Hans-Georg von der Marwitz); p. 14 Marlene Mortler / ​ Elaine Schmidt (Marlene Mortler); DBT / ​Simone M. Neumann (Johannes Röring); Hans Einspanier / ​fotogen GbR (Albert Stegemann); DBT / ​Achim Melde (Dieter Stier); Soest county branch of the CDU / ​Jan Kopetzky (Hans-​ Jürgen Thies); / ​Martin Janne (Kees de Vries); p. 15 DBT / ​ ­Thomas Köhler / ​photothek (Katrin Budde); DBT / ​Julia Nowak (Susanne ­Mittag); SPD party executive / ​Benno Kraehahn (Johann Saathoff); SPD party executive / ​Susie Knoll (Uwe Schmidt); spdfraktion.de / ​Benno Kraehahn ­(Ursula Schulte); spdfraktion.de / ​Benno Kraehahn (); p. 16 Carsten Träger / ​Susie Knoll (Carsten Träger); spdfraktion.de / ​Susie Knoll (Dirk Wiese); Peter Felser / ​Harald Kaliwoda (Peter Felser); Franziska Gmin- der / ​Fotostudio Akzente (); DBT / ​Thomas Trutschel / ​ ­photothek (Wilhelm von Gottberg); Verena Hartmann / ​Sven Lehmann (Verena Hartmann); p. 17 DBT /Achim Melde (Stephan Protschka); DBT / ​ Thomas Trutschel / ​photothek (Nicole Bauer); DBT / ​Thomas Köhler / ​photo- thek (Karlheinz Busen); / ​Laurence Chaperon (Gero Clemens Hocker); / ​Jörn Schulz (Heidrun Bluhm); Amira Mohamed Ali / ​Peter Duddek (Amira Mohamed Ali); p. 18 The Left Party in the Bundestag (Kersten Steinke); The Left Party in the Bundestag (Kirsten Tackmann); Stefan Kaminski (Harald Ebner); Renate Künast / ​Laurence ­Chaperon (Renate Künast); DBT / ​Thomas Trutschel / ​photothek (Friedrich Ostendorff); / Erik Marquardt (Markus Tressel) Graphic: p. 7 Marc Mendelson Printed by: Druckhaus Waiblingen Remstal-Bote GmbH As at: July 2018 © Deutscher Bundestag, Berlin All rights reserved. This publication has been produced as part of the German Bundestag’s ­public relations activities. It is provided free of charge and is not intended for sale. It may not be used for election campaign purposes or utilised by parties or parliamentary groups in their own public relations activities. 23 The German Bundestag takes decisions on what are at times highly complex and controversial bills and parliamentary initiatives relating to the entire spectrum of policy fields. The committees play a central role in parliamentary deliberations. They are the forum where the Members thrash out compromises and draw on expert advice before submitting their reports and recommendations­ for decisions to be voted on by the Bundestag as a whole. www.bundestag.de/en/committees