idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
On 16 January 2026, IAMO and the German Agribusiness Alliance (GAA) organised a panel discussion on “Getting to the point: sustainable water use and innovative agricultural technologies in Eastern European and Central Asian agriculture”. The expert panel took place as part of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) at CityCube Berlin, Germany.
Water is the basis of life for plants, animals and humans. Especially in times of climate change, the efficient use of water is of great importance in order to ensure food production even in increasingly arid regions. The international panel guests from politics, science and business discussed how sustainable water use in agriculture can be developed and expanded.
In her opening speech at the expert panel, Martina Englhardt-Kopf, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH), highlighted the importance of water as a component of all economic activity. She said that the GFFA offered a professional platform for discussing efficient water management and the latest technologies in agriculture.
In his presentation, IAMO researcher Nodir Djanibekov pointed out the differences in water availability in various countries in Central Asia and Europe. The amount of water determines which agricultural crops can be grown and to what extent. He noted that all farmers should be given access to scientific knowledge and investments in digital technologies in order to improve water use efficiency in agriculture.
Ukraine can already look back on particular successes in the areas of water management, modern irrigation systems and AI-based technologies, explained Deputy Minister Taras Vysotskyi, Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine. Against the backdrop of its desire to join the European Union in the next few years, the country is primarily concerned with adapting the Ukrainian agricultural economy to European standards. However, the current war situation poses major challenges, particularly in terms of agricultural skilled workers, restricted export routes, destroyed production facilities and financial resources in agriculture.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Azat Sultanov, explained that the use of water-saving technologies is a key objective in Kazakhstan's agriculture. The government is very interested in cooperating with foreign institutions and companies on intelligent irrigation systems for sustainable agriculture and is already providing intensive support in the form of state subsidies and loans.
Farmer Torben Reelfs, owner of BIORENA in Ukraine, reported that not only water shortages but also excess water can lead to major crop failures. When developing and deploying new technologies, it is particularly important to take into account and coordinate the uneven distribution of precipitation. In addition to irrigation systems, this also involves the expansion of drainage ditches in particularly water-rich regions.
Niels Grabbert, CEO and founder of Stenon GmbH, is concerned with the question of optimal soil use in agriculture. He noted that the composition and conditions of the soil have a significant influence on how much water can be stored in the soil. Resilient real-time soil data helps farmers make the right decisions about irrigation and fertilisation, improve soil quality and thus generate higher yields, and reduce operating costs.
The panel participants and moderator Dirk Stratmann, Spokesperson Ukraine/Central Asia at the German Agribusiness Alliance (GAA), agreed that the use and further development of modern water management and water-efficient agricultural technologies are crucial to ensuring food production and thus food security for future generations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
About the GFFA
The 18th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) entitled “Water. Harvests. Our Future” took place from 14 to 17 January 2026 in Berlin, Germany. The GFFA is an international conference on agri-food policy issues. It was organised by the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH) in cooperation with the Messe Berlin GmbH. General information on the GFFA 2026 is available on the conference website: https://www.gffa-berlin.de/en.
About the German Agribusiness Alliance (GAA)
The German Agribusiness Alliance (GAA) is a German business initiative of leading associations and companies in the agri-food sector. It serves as a platform to exchange information and expertise, and to pool economic interests in cooperation with transitioning, developing and emerging countries (partner countries) in the agri-food sector. The GAA was formerly known by its German name Arbeitsgruppe Agrarwirtschaft ("Working Group on Agriculture"). Further information: https://www.german-agribusiness-alliance.de
About IAMO
The Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO) analyses economic, social and political processes of change in the agricultural and food sector, and in rural areas. The geographic focus covers the enlarging EU, transition regions of Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe, as well as Central and Eastern Asia. IAMO works to enhance the understanding of institutional, structural and technological changes. Moreover, IAMO studies the resulting impacts on the agricultural and food sector as well as the living conditions of rural populations. The outcomes of our work are used to derive and analyse strategies and options for enterprises, agricultural markets and politics. Since its founding in 1994, IAMO has been part of the Leibniz Association, a German community of independent research institutes.
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https://www.iamo.de/en
https://www.iamo.de/en/press/press-releases/article/gffa-panel-guests-discussed-...
GFFA panelists Niels Grabbert, Torben Reelfs, Azat Sultanov, Taras Vysotskyi and moderator Dirk Stra ...
Source: Alexander Shelegov
Copyright: GAA/IAMO
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