The economic structures of the nations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia changed significantly in recent years. Revenues from the crude oil and natural gas export dropped precipitously, and the treasuries in these nations are in dire straits. This increases the focus on agriculture in the economies of these countries. In times of global food security planning, farming, growing fruits and vegetables and providing meat and dairy products boost the national economies. The concept of focusing on agriculture is particularly promising because fertile soils are plentiful and the climate is favorable.
Prerequisite to the efficient exploitation of agricultural resources is stepping up the agricultural yields in this region. This depends on the availability of life-sustaining water for plants and animals. Therefore, it is of the essence to protect the usually scarce water resources from spoilage and regulate access to water. Using water efficiently is very important and requires the use of modern technology as well as institutional water usage rules.
The significance of water to sustain the growth of agricultural economic sectors in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is the topic of the expert panel by IAMO and the German Agribusiness Alliance of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations.
How efficiently do people in the mentioned regions use water? What threatens today's water resources? What technologies could help to ensure sufficient water supplies for the growing agricultural demands? What are the political conditions, initiatives and policies, which could help to achieve the ambitious agricultural development goals? How can we activate the powers of imagination in an effort of using technologies for the preservation of water resources?
The proposed panel of experts in the areas of politics, agricultural engineering, international collaboration and agricultural practices will analyze the current situation, discuss approaches to sustaining an adequate water supply for agriculturally used land in the regions and work out opportunities for political and economic collaboration.
PROGRAM
Welcome
Prof. Dr. Alfons Balmann, Director, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO)
Opening address
Hermann Onko Aeikens, State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL)
Keynote
Prof. Dr. Dieter Gerten, Professor for Global Change Climatology and Hydrology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Coordinator Earth Modelling at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Panel discussion
Dr. Olga Trofimzewa, Vice Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food in Ukraine
Askar M. Nametov, Chairman of board of the National Agricultural Research & Education Center Kazakhstan
Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Frede, former chair of the Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resources Management
at the University of Gießen, expert on water use at the German Agricultural Society (DLG)
Prof. Dr. Dieter Gerten, Professor for Global Change Climatology and Hydrology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Coordinator Earth Modelling at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Host
Torsten Spill, co-chair of the task force Agricultural Economy, Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations
Simultaneous interpretation in German, English and Russian language will be provided.
Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) 2017
‘Agriculture and Water - Key to Feeding the World’
19 - 21 January 2017 ǀ Berlin | Germany
