Topic of the event: „Promoting young farmer’s engagement in development of research and use of the new technologies in agriculture“
Wednesday, 20 September 2023
The participants of the 9th European Annual Conference “Peace and Agriculture” met from 20 to 22 September in tranquil Modra, the “Pearl of the Small Carpathians” and town with the largest wine-growing area in Slovakia.
The Slovakian hosts placed the event under the highly topical theme of ” Promoting young farmer’s engagement in development of research and use of the new technologies in agriculture “. With a discussion paper sent out in advance (link “discussion paper”), they gave the participants on their way some suggestions.
MARTIN KOVÁČ
After checking in at the historic “Hotel pod Lipou” (“Hotel under the Lime Tree”), the Slovak hosts welcomed their about 100 guests from civil society and politics from the partner countries Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and the as well as the permanent guests Finland and Ukraine in the lobby of the hotel. The reunion is cordial, a great pleasure as every year. New participants tell their story. The exchange begins immediately and intensively. After checking in at the historic “Hotel pod Lipou” (“Hotel under the Lime Tree”), the Slovak hosts welcomed their about 100 guests from civil society and politics from the partner countries Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and the as well as the permanent guests Finland and Ukraine in the lobby of the hotel. The reunion is cordial, a great pleasure as every year. New participants tell their story. The exchange begins immediately and intensively.
Thursday, 21 September 2023
Meeting of the civil society partners
Greetings were given by JURAJ PÉNZEŠ, Director General at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Slovak Republic), Dr. GIBFRIED SCHENK, Managing Director of the FriedensBrot e.V. association. (Germany), PAVOL HAUPTVOGEL, Director of the Research Institute for Plant Production Piešťany, MARIÁN GLOVAŤÁK, Chairman of the Association of Young Slovak Farmers and MONIKA KISOVÁ, Director of the Technical School for Viticulture and Fruit Growing Modra (Slovak Republic).
Juraj Pénzeš
Gibfried Schenk
Pavol Hauptvogel
Marian Glovatak
MARIÁN GLOVAŤÁK mentioned that although European farmers are stressed by multiple crises and the war in Ukraine, the growing demand for food nevertheless secures their future. “History teaches life and our future,” he summarised his thoughts.
GIBFRIED SCHENK once again underlined the founding claim of the PeaceBread Network: Despite the war in Europe with its negative effects on world food, on food and commodity prices and thus on inflation also in partner countries: the assembled International Network “Peace and Agriculture” today, on the 574th day of Russia’s large-scale attack against Ukraine, sticks to its demand: “Agriculture needs peace – No peace without agriculture”!
The civil society country representatives discussed the conference theme. Students of the Modra Technical School for Viticulture and Fruit Growing lead through the programme.
Speakers are:
MIROSLAVA HRDLICOVA
Scientist at the Research Institute for Plant Production Piešťany (Slovak republic)
KATHARINA BÖCKL
Representative of the Bavarian Young Farmers’ Union (Germany)
VAHUR KUKK
President of the Estonian Rye Association
IRA TOPPINEN
Director of Education and Culture, Kärsämäki Municipality
MIHALY JANCSÓ
Chairman of the Peace Bread Association Szarvas (Hungary)
LINDA MEDNE
Chairperson of the Latvian 4H Club (Latvijas Mazpulki)
VYTENIS GRIGAS
Lithuanian Young Farmers Association
TADEUSZ GRABOWSKI
Foundation of the General Secondary School “JERZY POPIEŁUSZKO” Suchowola (Poland)
DORIN-OLIMPIU HEHN
Association of former deportees in Baragan (Romania)
ANATOLIY TSYRKUN
Representatives of the agricultural training programme “Agrokebety” (Ukraine)
Important demands were addressed:
• The participation of the young generation must be strengthened,
• Associations and institutions of rural youth must be promoted,
• Investments to strengthen rural infrastructures are important,
• In order to interest the alpha generation, agriculture must become a valuable lifestyle,
• Politics and the economy should not only be thought of from the “city”,
• The focus and investments must be directed towards rural areas and young farmers,
• more and better information and an exchange on starting and running new farms are needed,
• EU support for agriculture and rural areas must be geared towards keeping young families in rural areas,
• Coaching programmes to train young people as agricultural entrepreneurs are needed.
The association FriedensBrot e.V. Berlin uses the publicity of the civil society part of the conference to sign a bilateral partnership agreement with the Association of Young Slovak Farmers. MARIÁN GLOVAŤÁK, ANTON BLÖTH and GIBFRIED SCHENK sign.
The tour continues with an excursion to the Secondary school of Viticulture and Fruit growing in Modra. To start, guests will experience an excellent tasting of regional wines. Director MONIKA KISOVÁ, her colleagues and students present a developing experimental farm, their wine cellar and excellent wines.
An impressive tour of the Secondary school of Viticulture and Fruit growing followed. Right at the entrance, Director KISOVÁ pointed out a memorial plaque placed in 2005 in memory of the priest, the director and the administrator of the local girls’ school, who gave asylum to twelve Jewish girls in 1942-44.
The director gave a tour of the building with great commitment. She showed the assembly hall and classrooms.
The director gave a tour of the building with great commitment. She showed the assembly hall and classrooms.
“The student” PAVOL HAUPTVOGEL
Among other things, the guests will also learn that they are in the alma mater of PAVOL HAUPTVOGEL, the current director of the Piešťany Research Institute of Plant Production, which has been growing the Slovak Peace Bread Rye since the beginning of the international project.
A lunch at the “Restaurant u Srnčíka” will conclude the morning.
Ministerial programme
While the civil society partners are holding their discussion on the conference theme and excursion, the representatives of the agricultural ministries are using the morning to exchange ideas at Devin Castle. The Slovak Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development JOZEF BÍREŠ will accompany the guests on a guided tour of the historic castle.
Joint ceremony for the blessing of the PeaceBread by the Catholic bishop at the “Gate of Freedom” memorial in Devin
All participants of the conference will gather at the memorial site “Gate of Freedom” in Devín at 2 pm.
The memorial is located at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers below the rock of Devín Castle, where the “Iron Curtain” used to run. It was erected in memory of the four hundred men and women who were killed or forcibly expelled from their homes at the borders of the then Czechoslovak Republic in the years 1945-1989 while trying to flee behind the “Iron Curtain”. The ceremony highlighted the importance of promoting peace and democracy in Europe, but also worldwide, which is closely linked to the main message of the PeaceBread project.
Solemn music sets the mood for the guests. JOZEF HAĽKO, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bratislava blesses the Slovak PeaceBread 2023 baked from the rye of the partner countries in the presence of Minister BÍREŠ.
Ministerial conference “Peace and Agriculture” 2023: ” Promoting young farmer’s engagement in development of research and use oft he new technologies in agriculture “
Under police escort, buses with all participants drive to the conference hotel in Modra.
Greetings by the Slovak Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development JOZEF BÍREŠ, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture Ms CLAUDIA MÜLLER and the Chairman of the association FriedensBrot e.V. ANTON BLÖTH (Germany) open the conference. ANTON BLÖTH`s greeting ends with the awarding of MARIÁN GLOVAŤÁK as PeaceBread Ambassador.
The representatives of the agricultural ministries will then address the conference topic. One after the other:
ALEXANDER IOTZEV
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Bulgaria
TUGOMIR MAJDAK
State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Croatia
MIROSLAV SKŘIVÁNEK
Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Republic
KAJA PIIRFELDT
Advisor at the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture of Estonia
OSZKÁR ÖKRÖS
Deputy Head of State for International Relations of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture
JULIJA TRAVINA
Deputy Head of Department, Ministry of Agriculture of Latvia
EGIDIJUS GIEDRAITIS
State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania
MAŁGORZATA SZKODZIŃSKA
Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Polish Embassy in Slovakia
AUREL SIMION
State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Romania
MARTA HRUSTEL MAJCEN
Head of the EU Coordination and International Affairs Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of Slovenia
In his closing words, JOZEF BÍREŠ thanked the participants for their interesting contributions. He then presented the Slovak “PeaceBread 2023” to the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
In his closing words, JOZEF BÍREŠ thanked the participants for their interesting contributions. He then presented the Slovak “PeaceBread 2023” to the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The conference will end with a gala dinner at the “Neco Estate – Blue house” winery and many good conversations.
We thank the Slovak hosts for hosting an important, interesting, and substantive 9th Annual European Conference “Peace and Agriculture” in Modra.
See you again in the 35th year of the fall of the Berlin Wall from 30 September to 2 October 2024 in Berlin!
(Pictures: Anton Blöth, Christian Horn, Gibfried Schenk, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic)