The last fields and forests owned by the GDR state in East Germany are only leased out, not sold – and this should remain the case despite protests from farmers.
With a few exceptions, the East German arable and forest land owned by the federal government will in future only be leased and no longer sold.
The federal government reached a corresponding agreement with the East German states – despite protests from farmers’ associations against the sales stop. “The sale of valuable arable land has finally come to an end,” said Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir in Berlin.
The new regulation for around 91,000 hectares then still owned by the federally owned land utilization and management company BVVG was already announced in the coalition agreement of 2021 and has been prepared since 2022. Since German unification, forests and fields from the former GDR state ownership have been gradually privatized. The federal and state governments have now regulated the details of the extensive sales stop in so-called area management principles.
In the planned leasing, priority should be given to sustainable businesses – according to Özdemir, organic farms and conventional businesses that meet certain sustainability criteria. “We place a main focus on sustainability and promoting young talent,” explained the Green politician. “Anyone who contributes to biodiversity, protects the climate or keeps animals better will benefit from the allocation of land. In this way, we promote sustainable and therefore future-proof agriculture.” Young farmers would have particular advantages from the new principles, said Özdemir.
East German farmers’ associations recently protested against the innovations. They demanded that the sales ban be lifted. Instead, privatization should be continued and land management by the federal government should be ended. The associations also objected to the sustainability criteria for leasing. They also reject the transfer of areas to national natural heritage. The traffic light earmarked 17,500 hectares from the existing stock for this purpose.
Source: Stern
