Berlin, 14 January 2025 – As of 1 January 2025, the affairs of FriedensBrot e.V. are being managed by Dr. Anoush Steinberger-Ficiciyan from the Andreas Hermes Akademie (AHA). At the same time, the association has entered into a strategic partnership with AHA to intensify the dialogue on agriculture and peace in Europe and to inspire young people in particular to engage with these important topics. Together, the two organizations aim to further develop the FriedensBrot network and provide new impetus for a sustainable and peaceful future in Europe, as stated in the preamble of the corresponding cooperation agreement.

With the change and professionalization of the management, an era comes to an end for the FriedensBrot initiative. Since its founding in 2012, the association has been run on a voluntary basis by Dr. Marion and Dr. Gibfried Schenk, who are now stepping down from their roles at their own request. Both will continue to support the FriedensBrot association and the international network “Peace and Agriculture” with advice and assistance. Dr. Gibfried Schenk will join the association’s board.

Anton Blöth, chairman of the association, thanked the Schenk couple for their admirably successful and lasting commitment to the FriedensBrot idea. With conviction, passion, and foresight, they had “founded, nurtured, and, with wise leadership and great sensitivity, guided FriedensBrot into the next generation,” according to a letter of thanks from the entire FriedensBrot board. With “parental care, strong personality, and a well-measured persistence,” they had prepared the FriedensBrot house in such a way that it would continue to offer space for important dialogue across borders and former walls, between generations, politics and civil society, and on the fundamental link between peacebuilding and food security. The association will officially express its gratitude and recognition for their work at a later date.

Together with Dr. Andreas Quiring, Managing Director of AHA, Blöth welcomed the new cooperation established at the turn of the year. Both wished the new managing director every success and a sure hand in leading and further developing the FriedensBrot project. Dr. Anoush Steinberger-Ficiciyan works as International Program Manager at AHA. After studying crop science in Bonn, she conducted research in the Department of Agroecology at the University of Göttingen on the performance of organically and conventionally bred vegetable varieties and species mixtures under stress conditions. In autumn 2024, she had already supported FriedensBrot e.V. at the anniversary conference of the International Network “Peace and Agriculture” in Berlin, where she was able to personally get to know the partners and members of the FriedensBrot initiative, along with their shared visions and motivations.

Since its founding in 2012, the non-profit association FriedensBrot e.V. has been working with its initially 11, now 13, partners from Central and Southeastern Europe on the topic of “Peace and Agriculture” in a European and international context. The goal of the network is to convey the close connection between international peacebuilding and sustainable agriculture: “No peace without agriculture, no agriculture without peace” – this is the powerful message of the initiative, which is symbolically expressed in the European PeaceBread that was first baked in 2014.