15–18 January 2025: Global Forum for Food and Agriculture – "Farming a Sustainable Bioeconomy"
The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) is the key international conference that focuses on questions concerning the future of the global food and agricultural industry. It provides a platform for experts, policy-makers, researchers, business representatives and civil society stakeholders to come together to devise solutions for ensuring food security in the future. The 2025 GFFA focuses on the topic of sustainable bioeconomy.
The 17th GFFA was opened by Claudia Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture. As a platform for multilateral exchange, the GFFA is a globally unique event hosted by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
In her opening address, Claudia Müller said: "In times of increasing conflict which see the world at risk of splitting into camps, we want to use the GFFA to promote dialogue and collaboration. We are gathering in Berlin because we know that the most pressing challenges of our time – the climate crisis, species extinction, conflicts and wars – can only be solved together."
17th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference 2025
The political highlight of the GFFA is the world’s largest informal conference of agriculture ministers. The 2025 GFFA focuses on the topic "Farming a Sustainable Bioeconomy". Our global economic system is facing great challenges as it is largely dependent on non-renewable, fossil resources. It uses up finite resources, exacerbates the climate crisis and thus has a drastic impact on global food security. A sustainable, circular bioeconomy can play a key role in the further development towards a sustainable and resilient resource base.
A bio-based economy uses raw materials from agriculture, forestry and aquaculture, as well as organic waste, micro-organisms and insects. The transition towards an increased use of renewable resources therefore not only offers manifold prospects for development and for generating income but can also contribute to achieving 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. We intend to use the GFFA as a platform to promote the exchange on sustainable bioeconomy and thus contribute to strengthening food security, combatting the deepening climate crisis, boosting innovation, and providing a fair framework for a sustainable bioeconomy.
Four central bioeconomy topics will be discussed during the 2025 GFFA
Producing biomass sustainably – Solving conflicts of interest
Using biomass sustainably – Ensuring global food security
Strengthening innovation – Promoting communication
Creating a fair framework – Harnessing change
Ensuring global food security – Ending hunger
Most recent figures indicate that up to 757 million people around the world are afflicted by hunger and an approximate 2.33 billion people (i.e. 28.9 percent of the world population) have no secure, reliable access to adequate and sufficient food.
We want to find common solutions for the agricultural sector in order to ensure global food security.
Our ambition is to realise the right to adequate food across the globe.
We want to keep focussing on and documenting how the global debate on food security is evolving.
We hope to be able to contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Making agriculture more sustainable
Agriculture is the largest employment sector worldwide and currently provides income for 40 percent of the world’s population.
The global population is expected to grow to around 10 billion people by 2050.
Ensuring food supplies for these people from the scarce natural resources available will be the most urgent global challenge of our future.
Our goal is to make smart, efficient and sustainable use of these resources around the globe and thus to increase agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner.
We aim to present novel concepts and solutions for sustainable agriculture at regional and global levels,
while identifying common challenges and opportunities for using synergies within our food systems.
Our global platform
We provide an attractive platform for discussing the key issues relating to the future of the global agricultural and food sectors.
Each year, we select a different theme, focussing on the major challenges of food systems.
We aim to help launch global cross-border research partnerships.
Our goal is to invite pioneers and key stakeholders from around to world to attend the forum.
We wish to create open, scientifically sound dialogues on an equal footing between the most important players from governments, civil society and the scientific and business communities.
Our outcomes
The GFFA provides impetus for further developing food systems around the world:
A Communiqué of the Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference containing policy recommendations, which is discussed and agreed on by agriculture ministers from roughly 70 states, with input from more than 10 international organisations.
Some of the achievements of the Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference include an international platform for the digital transformation in food and agriculture, which was launched in 2020.
A Joint Declaration by 15 to 20 young farmers from across the globe.
An exhibition of innovative and flagship projects.
Facilitation of networking and multilateral dialogues.
Reaching of a broader audience by reporting in social media, conventional channels and via PR.
Chaired by Federal Minister Cem Özdemir, the agriculture ministers from over 60 states met at the 16th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference and undertook to continue the necessary transformation towards sustainable and consequently resilient agriculture and food systems. In their final communiqué, they underlined that this was the only way to make the right to adequate food a reality for everyone across the globe.
