In the run-up to the Green week : record sales in the food industry and a major concern

the halls of the same among the radio tower is either a large construction site or a hardware store. Where from Friday expected to be around 400,000 visitors food from all over the world will try to stack up at the Moment Euro-pallets. Where in the next week million dollar businesses, screw the fair, a farmer desks. The preparations for this year's Green week in the last trains.

However, for farmers and the food industry has begun the big event. Two days before the start of the trade Fair, the German farmers Association (DBV), the Federal Association of the German food industry (BVE) and the trade fair of Berlin, about their expectations to inform traditionally. The world's biggest agricultural fair is bringing an excellent opportunity for consumers and farmers together, says Bauer, President Joachim Rukwied.

Almost, it seemed, however, that both associations would have had to change their with positive news-filled press releases, on Tuesday evening. Because for both Association leaders for the first time, presented the business figures for 2018, but the vote of the British Parliament against the Brexit Treaty, the most pressing topic of the hour.

The international business is becoming more and more important

"An open market with the United Kingdom has for us is still the highest priority," said Rukwied. The UK is an important market for the German agriculture. A year, the agricultural would be supplied goods and food to the value of around 4.5 billion Euro from Germany to the British Isles. The export surplus compared to the UK spent in the agricultural sector, at around 3.5 billion euros. This is almost twice as much as the entire export value to the United States.

in Addition, the economic impacts of the hot summer of 2018, as well as the trade dispute between China and the United States could, according to Rukwied "agriculture is still sensitive". Also BVE-chief Executive Christoph Minhoff said, the politics and the economy would have to "make every effort to strengthen the model of the European Union".

However, despite the political uncertainties both of the industry were representatives generally optimistic. The reason is the current business figures. According to initial estimates, the German food industry in the past year generated a turnover of 180 billion euros, a slight increase of 0.3 percent compared to the previous record year of 2017.

This shows, however, significantly, the importance of stable political conditions for the industry. Because it was the business abroad, which saved the German food industry, the balance sheet. Domestic sales decreased by 0.2 percent, the growth rate of 1.1 percent in the foreign countries was able to compensate for this Minus, however, is more than.

The exports to the EU increased by 0.4 percent compared way weak. Here, too, the forthcoming Brexit have been left traces of the BVE. The exports to great Britain were easily driven back. The farmers ' Association had already announced a few weeks ago rising profits in the past fiscal year.

The prices should remain stable

For consumers is not likely to change in 2019, according to the DBV at the checkout a lot. "Food prices are expected to remain stable", said Rukwied. In 2018 the increase in the price of food products had amounted to 2.4 per cent – significantly more than the normal Inflation of 1.9 percent.

The producer prices for milk and cereals are a constant, says Rukwied. For potatoes the farmers could demand much more, pig prices have remained under pressure. "In the past ten years, about half of the pork holder has abandoned," reports the DBV-President. Pig farming in Germany run the risk of losing their future ability.

The same procedure as every year: The Finnish chef Samuel Mikander (v. l.) with DBV-in-chief Joachim Rukwied, President of the...photo: dpa

A Trend that is not likely to also like Minhoff. Because the presented in addition to the balance of the year, a BVE-survey says that 81 percent of Germans can imagine to buy only food from abroad. Apart from that, the Federal citizens are, according to this survey, however, is quite adventurous.

More than the majority of the respondents could imagine to eat in ten years ' regular algae, 21 percent are in the laboratory, farmed meat and 20 percent had nothing against insects on the plate.

consumer advocates are calling for clear labelling

Many Germans also believe to know, thanks to digital information in the future, more about their food. 55 percent feel they know better in ten years about the origin of individual ingredients know. And 44 percent think they may soon be able to assess the environmental footprint of a product is better. Only eight percent indicated that they are interested in such information.

A number that could fuel the discussion on the mandatory labelling on food products. Which is currently in a fight. The Federal food Minister, Julia Klöckner (CDU) intends to submit its proposals for nutrition labelling until the summer, is defending himself against a traffic light.

The Federation of German consumer organisations (VZBV) has adopted in the run-up to the Green week is now a special field of marking: the baked goods. Customer too often from the promising name of dazzle, criticized the VZBV. "57 percent of consumers estimate the fitness bread', and 56 per cent ,athletes bread' is healthier than a mixed wheat bread, without specific requirements on the use of these names are established", - stated in the survey, which was presented on Wednesday.

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"Behind the healthy-sounding fantasy names-free baked goods are not necessarily healthy products", Klaus Müller, Executive Director of the VZBV, to bear in mind. "A protein-bread can be a calorie bomb." Müller calls, therefore, clear labelling rules for loose baked goods, as they also apply to packaged rolls or loaves.