Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2025
The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) 2025 came to a successful close. The political highlight was the 17th Berliner Conference of Ministers of Agriculture. 63 Ministers from all around the world and 14 high-level representatives of International Organisations took part.
Under the chairmanship of Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, the agriculture ministers agreed to jointly drive forward sustainable bioeconomy. They undertake to strengthen the contribution of sustainable bioeconomy to global food security, conserve biodiversity and mitigate climate change. The ministers unanimously support the initiative of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) to fund a project of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to develop a global bioeconomy partnership.
The final communiqué of the 17th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference is available here. Further information on the outcomes of the Agriculture Ministers’ Conference is available from our press release.
Key results of the check Berlin Agriculture Ministers' Conference:
Sustainable production of biomass
When renewable biological resources are produced, managed and processed sustainably, the bioeconomy can contribute to social, economic and ecological development and consequently to achieving the sustainable development goals. The ministers reiterate their support for the Paris Climate Agreement and to the Convention on Biodiversity. They emphasise the importance of sustainable food systems and sustainable production, including agroecology, precision farming and organic farming. At the same time they recognise that no production system is a one-size-fits-all solution but must always be adapted to local and regional conditions.

Bioeconomy as a source of income
The bioeconomy already provides many people’s livelihoods worldwide and constitutes the foundation of entire industrial sectors. This applies, for instance, to the sustainable use of pasture land, resources from the sea and aquatic ecosystems, and non-timber forest products that are collected, such as fruits, nuts and resins. The ministers emphasise the potential of a blue bioeconomy as an additional source of value creation and income, in particular for fishing communities. They highlight algae as one of the most promising currently underutilised resources.
Using biomass sustainably — Ensuring global food security
While the ministers will promote a sustainable bioeconomy, they also undertake to achieve and prioritise food security. They support strengthening the step-by-step realisation of the right to adequate food. They recognise how important it is to advance a sustainable bioeconomy together with a circular economy for all value chains in order to reduce the pressure on renewable biological resources. They undertake to promote the use of agricultural, forest and aquatic biomass and the respective by-products. They emphasise that the diversification of protein sources can help improve global food security and nutrition.
Strengthening innovation
The ministers emphasise that science, technology, innovation, training, communication and cross-sectoral cooperation are key for a sustainable bioeconomy, while acknowledging traditional knowledge and cultural heritage. They emphasise that access to finance is necessary in order to provide the bioeconomy with opportunities to grow, in particular for smallholder farmers, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities.
Creating a fair framework – Harnessing change
The ministers acknowledge that the greater need for biomass for food and non-food uses could lead to conflicts of interests, creating competition between different end users in respect of the use of natural resources such as land and water. When they address these issues, thier priority is the step-by-step realisation of the right ot adequate food and sustainable development within the planetary boundaries.
Launching an international partnership
The ministers welcome the FAO project, funded by Germany, to develop a Global Bioeconomy Partnership; this project will help define the Partnership’s sphere of activity and governance framework. Recognising the necessity for such an initiative, the ministers call for this initiative to be actively supported as soon as it is finalised.
GFFA conference events:
At 2025 GFFA, around 2,000 international guests discussed how to shape a sustainable bioeconomy and how to collaborate even more closely to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and to realise the human right to food at a variety of events. There were, among others, 16 Expert Panels, 3 High Level Panels, a Science Slam and an Innovation Forum.
Find out more at www.gffa-berlin.de!