German-Kazakh Agricultural Policy Dialogue to host presentation on BLE webinar on structure and tasks of this German agricultural authority
On June 28, the German-Kazakh Agricultural Policy Dialogue (APD) successfully coordinated an informational online-event for the Kazakh Agrarian Science and Educational Centre (NASEC). It dealt with the structures and selected tasks of the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE). More than 50 participants attended the webinar, which was official opened by Ms Gulmira Isaeva, head of NASEC, and Mr Alexander Barnewitz, teamleader of APD.
One representatives from BLE firstly gave an overview on the authorities’ structure and organizational concept. Then, a BLE expert for research coordination focused on national research funding programs and procedures in Germany. This topic is of special importance for the Kazakh partners, since the agricultural research and education concept has been and is revised together with the upcoming agricultural development program 2021-2026 in which NASEC in this respect will exert a strong influence. Therefore NASEC is interested and satisfied to exchange with its German partners their experience on education and research strategies and to receive input for development possibilities in its agricultural sector. A vivid questions answer session revealed the significance of aspects like evaluation of public funded research projects, appropriate length of projects related to plant breed and animal husbandry, proportion of costs to be carried by the private sector, etc.
After that, a BLE expert explained the topic of the German organic control systems including the legislative framework, the systematic implementation of organic controls, the minimum requirements regarding organic controls related as well as the monitoring of the control bodies. This subject plays an important role in several related projects funded by the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) such as APD; it is for example also relevant in the project German-Ukrainian Cooperation in Organic Agriculture (COA).
As a result of this well received digital presentation, another virtual input from BLE is planned for end of July. This next session will focus on the authorities’ task related to agricultural statistics and accounts. It will be the third event in cooperation with BLE: A first presentation by a BLE expert had been held in July 2020 about the national innovation support programmes funded by BMEL and implemented by BLE.
For further information, please, kindly turn to Alexander.barnewitz@afci.de or Stefanie.maak@afci.de