Foreword by the editors - January 2024

Foreword by the editors

Dear UfU member, dear friend,

This year, which will be a decisive one for Germany in many respects, is off to a bumpy start, with emotions and tensions.

As an environmental institute, the current farmers’ protests have not left us unaffected. Farmers are holding demonstrations to express their displeasure at their financial situation and the cuts to agricultural diesel.

We understand the resentment. However, despite all understanding for the situation of farmers, it must be stated: Climate-damaging subsidies must be reduced.

In our view, the media and political debate is overlooking two crucial factors that put farmers in a position to demonstrate against subsidy cuts in the first place:

1. The precarious financial situation of farmers is not caused by cuts in agricultural diesel, but by years of misguided agricultural policy in Germany and the EU. As long as farmers are forced by billion-dollar processing companies and food corporations to sell their products at the lowest producer prices, to keep growing at the expense of nature and animals and to produce ever more cheaply, farmers will continue to fare badly. Producers must be able to sell their products at fair prices independently of large corporations. The removal of bureaucratic hurdles proposed by the FDP as a solution really only means: less climate protection, less biodiversity protection, less health protection and worse animal husbandry. This will not benefit the soil, agriculture or people in the long term.
2. The cuts in agricultural diesel are a direct effect of the debt brake, for which the grand coalition is largely responsible and not the traffic light government. However, it will not be possible to transform the farms without subsidies.

If we really want to help farmers and achieve our climate targets at the same time, then we need to transform agriculture, including with public funding. Regionality, organic farming and at the same time fair producer prices for farmers. This also means a change in the subsidy culture: if subsidies are linked to criteria such as animal welfare, the extent of fertilization, the type of cultivation and other sustainable standards in the future and no longer to the size of the farms, then we will move away from a “grow or die” approach. The climate movement and agriculture should not and must not be seen as opposites.

These days, many people in Germany are also taking to the streets to demonstrate against fascism, right-wing extremism and the AfD. In eastern Germany in particular, the AfD is now achieving high poll ratings. Against the backdrop of three upcoming state elections in eastern Germany, these figures are worrying. As an environmental institute with a history in eastern Germany and an office in Halle (Saale), we welcome these demonstrations. It is good and important that people take to the streets against right-wing extremism.

From our point of view, however, we must not forget that political and social consequences must follow from and after this protest. For each and every one of us. It is the task of the government and the opposition to expose and unmask the AfD politically. Not by also addressing their issues, but by demonstrating that the AfD has no viable solutions to the problems of our time. It is the task of every politician not only to demonstrate against the AfD, but also to offer solutions for the people who vote for the AfD out of a lack of prospects, helplessness, disappointment or other reasons. It is the task of the climate movement to pick up the people who are worried about their livelihood or afraid of change and who feel threatened by the measures demanded by the climate movement. It is the task of each individual to seek discussion in their private environment with people who vote for the AfD and to talk to them, discuss and point out real alternatives.

Otherwise, what so often threatens: we will cook our own soup. The protests will only reach those who are already convinced anyway and in the end, if the AfD’s state election results are high, we will have to admit our disappointment: The joint underhooking, singing and demonstrating against the right, it was a bit too easy after all. It’s too easy to demonstrate with broad support from your own circle of friends and acquaintances…

We cannot avoid dealing with the people we have lost to the AfD. The fight against the AfD must be waged both in politics and in private life. Attributions such as “All AfD voters are Nazis” are just as unhelpful as the pitiful attempts by some parties to win votes away from the AfD by also using right-wing resentments, only by coloring them with a slightly different choice of words.

We need to listen better. We need to take other people’s concerns seriously without immediately dismissing them for their supposed ignorance. It will turn out that society is less divided than generally assumed.

It will be an exciting year. The elections in Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony will change the political landscape. The debt brake and the associated changes in the KTF will pose challenges not only for NGOs. And last but not least, we are looking forward to the elections in the USA and the resulting changes to the situation here in Germany and around the world.

This year can change a lot. For better or worse.

Jonas Rüffer
Editorial manager