It’s the 19th international conference since 1999, and over 1,000 registered participants from over 68 countries assembled to discuss our vision of a new path for agriculture, while still providing for the growing world population.

The inaugural speaker, Professor Mathias Becker from University of Bonn, emphasized the crucial role of young scientists and journalists, giving special thanks to us student reporters, who” link the world outside with the Tropentag conference”.

In accordance with the representative of the German Minister of Economic cooperation and Development, both acknowledged the massive deprivation of natural resources from intensive agriculture, e. g. deforestation, big monocultures and pesticide use. They also both mentioned that feeding the soaring demand for food, even while arable land was limited, would require intensification.

Can intensification be the only answer and solution? No, nor can CRISPR/Cas9 be, said Michael Hoch, Rector of the University of Bonn. He had further questions, what role does modern biotechnology play? How can small-scale farmers in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa be considered as a key factor to considerably change agricultural output? In contrast to keynote speaker Monty Jones, the minister of agriculture of Sierra Leone, the welcome speakers were less certain about how to feed the world in the future.

“‘The intrinsic motivation of the researcher’ – that is what unites us,” asserted Dr. Christoph Sänger, quoting Goethe, at the Hans H. Ruthenberg-Graduate and the Josef G. Knoll European Science Award Ceremony on Friday. Sänger, who investigated small farmer dairy markets in Vietnam, was one of six young researchers who were lauded for the excellence, relevance, and social and scientific contribution of their Masters or Ph.D. theses. (Continue...)

“Are we going to talk about nationality or internationality?” asked Michal Lošťák, Vice-Rector of CULS, as he welcomed the crowded assembly to Tropentag yesterday. Taking the conference theme of ‘gaps’ to be ‘bridged,’ he focused on gaps between perspectives from different cultures. “A scientific community operates across borders,” he continued, “[it is] interesting to hear how African students agree or disagree with European students.” While I agree that points of conflict are intellectually illuminating, for me something was missing in all the introductory speeches at the Plenary session yesterday. (Continue...)

Hans-Joachim Preuß is the Managing Director of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). He holds a PhD from Justus Liebig University in Giessen, under the topic of target group-oriented agricultural research in developing countries. Dr. Preuß started his professional career in development cooperation at the GTZ, holding various positions in Africa and at the GTZ Head Office in Eschborn, also as a member of the Corporate Development Unit. He was transferred at Welthungerhilfe in Bonn, where he was initially in charge of the Programmes and Projects Department and later Secretary General and Managing Director. In 2009, Dr Preuß was appointed Managing Director of GTZ.