Merkel welcomes proposal for sustainable agriculture

German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke out on Tuesday in favor of making Germany's agricultural sector more sustainable and emphasized the need to provide financial security for the process,reported Xinhua.

A report on the future of agriculture in Germany compiled by a special government commission was officially presented to Merkel, who stressed that the next federal government to be elected in September would not be able to avoid addressing the recommendations.

According to the final report, which describes the transformation as a "task for all of society," between 1.5 billion euros and 5.5 billion euros (up to 6.5 billion U.S. dollars) per year in additional funding would be required for the sustainable transformation of Germany's agricultural sector.

Investments made in this transformation, however, would be "partially refinanced through savings in external costs" compared with current forms of production, according to the report.

The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) would have to play a key role in managing this transition, the report stressed.

Julia Kloeckner, federal minister for food and agriculture, emphasized that despite the conflicting goals of environmental protection and economic interests, the commission's members succeeded in achieving a "culture of consensus."