by VDAJ
To the honorary president of the German farmers’ union Mr Gerd Sonnleitner there is a connection between a free press and welfare of society.
“We all know, that where there is peace, law and order, where there is access to land and credit, to education and especially a free and responsible press and agricultural press – there we will find bread and meat and fruit and good water and thriving villages and colorful markets. Where there is sustainability, there is a chance for a good life.”
Mr Sonnleitner is honorary president of the German farmers’ union, Deutscher Bauernverband and former president of the European farmers’ association.
As a special envoy of the UN for family farms Mr Sonnleitner has seen during many meetings and speeches how many shortcomings and weaknesses you can find. That was also why he appealed to the participants to care for that agriculture and rural areas occupy an appropriate social, economic and political importance. By referring to the Hall of Peace in the town hall of Siena in Italy with the key work of European painting on the “Good and Bad Government” by Ambrogio Lorenzetti he underlined the connection between good governance and succesful agriculture:
“On one side of diligent work and acting in the city and a good cooperation with the country with flowering fertile fields – this is a consequence of good governance and management. On the other hand you find hell, misery and death by corruption and bad government.”
Mr Sonnleitner said that he was deeply influenced during his childhood by the refugee families who had to give up their belongings after the war and then lived on his family farm.
“Even today many farming families suffer from wars, civil wars and drug wars. It is equally appalling when playing children or plowing farmers are killed by landmines. And it is a shameful chapter of our humanity that among the starving people in the world are still very many farming families,” said Mr Sonnleitner.