Expert Panels 2027 · 09:00–10:30

EXPERT PANEL 1

Resilience starts on the farm

Organisers: Andreas Hermes Akademie im Bildungswerk der Deutschen Landwirtschaft e.V. · Deutscher Bauernverband e.V. · World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO)

Language: English

Geopolitical tensions, vulnerable supply chains, resource scarcity and climate change are presenting new challenges for the agricultural sector worldwide. At the same time, resilience is significantly built up through work at farm level. Farmers must maintain production under changing political, economic, environmental and social conditions, as they play a fundamental role in providing food security. Their practical knowledge of what works and what needs to be adapted is crucial for a resilient agricultural sector.

Farmers’ organisations can transform these individual experiences into collective action. By pooling the knowledge and needs of their members, representing farmers in dealings with the political, business and scientific communities, and feeding that knowledge back into practice, they can help ensure that solutions are not merely developed for farmers, but are tested and adapted in collaboration with them.

The panel discussion brings together perspectives from farmers’ organisations, the agricultural sector, academia and the private sector. Drawing on both national and international experience, it examines how farmers can become key players in shaping resilient production, how farmers’ organisations can facilitate this role, and what framework conditions and forms of cooperation are required to link farmers’ knowledge with research, innovation, markets and policy.

EXPERT PANEL 2

Resilient Agri-Food Supply Chains: The Roles of Business and Public Policy

Organisers: OECD and IFPRI

Language: English

Agricultural production and agri-food supply chains have faced successive and overlapping shocks in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, geopolitical and trade tensions, volatile energy markets, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. These shocks put a spotlight on possible vulnerabilities in supply chains, but also underscore the importance of international trade, diversified sources of supply, and effective risk management by both public and private actors. This expert panel will examine how resilience can be strengthened across the supply chain, from agricultural inputs and primary production to processing and distribution. Drawing on OECD and IFPRI analysis, the discussion will explore lessons from recent shocks and identify the complementary roles of public and private actors in improving resilience.

EXPERT PANEL 3

Resilience through intelligence. Global food security and agricultural technologies in times of climate change, trade wars and geopolitical tensions using the examples of Ukraine and Kazakhstan

Organisers: German Agribusiness Alliance · Leibniz-Institut für Agrarentwicklung in Transformationsökonomien (IAMO)

Language: German

Predictability is key – particularly in agriculture worldwide: the myriad sources of conflict – be it Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Middle East conflict and its spillover into the Strait of Hormuz, or the extreme volatility of US trade policy – are undermining established trade relations, driving up consumer prices and placing agricultural producers under particular pressure. This scenario is unfolding against a backdrop of worsening climatic conditions, with droughts, heatwaves and heavy rainfall in many parts of the world. This makes regional, predictable and smart local food production all the more important – with efficient production, reliable outcomes and short supply chains right through to the consumer.

Where do the major agricultural nations of Eastern Europe and Central Asia currently stand in terms of food production? Where do smart innovations offer greater resilience in agriculture? And what challenges do we still need to address? These questions will be discussed with representatives from international politics, academia and business as part of a panel discussion.

EXPERT PANEL 4

Safe Trade, Secure Supply Chains: Partnerships for Resilience

Organisers: Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF)

Language: English

As growing pressures from geopolitical tensions and climate change affect global food systems, investments in food safety, animal and plant health are vital for food security and economic resilience. By addressing these risks at their source, SPS investments contribute to more secure and resilient agri-food supply chains globally.

The session objective is to unpack how improved sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity in developing countries delivers a triple win for governments, the private sector and consumers: facilitated trade, safe food and more resilient supply chains.

It will explore how innovation and investment to meet international food safety, animal and plant health standards delivers benefits for developing and developed economies. Stronger SPS capacity helps developing countries access markets, attract investment and boost development, while ensuring the safe and reliable flow of food imports that European consumers, retailers and industries depend on.

Key topics to be addressed include: evidence on the economic and trade benefits of SPS investments for the Global South; links between development cooperation, export growth, jobs and food security in the Global North; and linkages to broader economic security and resilience objectives. Examples will illustrate how collaborative investments can reduce trade costs, improve efficiency, and strengthen supply chains to generate tangible benefits for businesses, governments and consumers worldwide.