The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) is an international annual conference on agri-food policy issues. This year the conference takes place on January 16-18 in Berlin.Around 2,000 international visitors from politics, industry, science and civil society discuss the key topic “Food for All! Trade for Secure, Diverse and Sustainable Nutrition”. In addition, the world’s largest informal Conference of Agriculture Ministers takes place on the third conference day as the highlight of the GFFA. 

The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) is an international conference on central issues of vital importance for global agricultural and food policies. It is held in Berlin on an annual basis at the same time as the International Green Week (IGW). The GFFA is hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in cooperation with the Berlin Senate, Messe Berlin GmbH and the GFFA Berlin e.V.. The key topic of GFFA this year is “Food for All! Trade for Secure, Diverse and Sustainable Nutrition” discussed in depth in numerous panels and forums.

The three-day forum features a large number of events that provide an international audience of experts from the worlds of politics, business, science and civil society with an opportunity to address and reach consensus on issues and challenges relating to global agricultural policy and food security.

A kick-off event introduces the GFFA subject and thus lays the foundation for the various expert discussions held over the following days. The key element of the kick-off event is a facilitated panel discussion.

The political highlight of the GFFA is the Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference at the Federal Foreign Office which is not open to the public.  It is the world’s largest conference of agriculture ministers, attended by around 70 agriculture ministers. High-level representatives from more than 10 international organisations such as the FAO, OECD, WTO and World Bank also attend the conference. At the conference, the agriculture ministers formulate a common political position on the respective GFFA subject in the Final Communiqué, which has to date always been unanimously adopted. The results are fed into the further international discourse on agricultural policy.

Approximately 70 ministers of agriculture from around the world and high-level representatives of international organisations adopt a joint political communiqué on the respective key topic.

At the invitation of the BMEL, up to 20 young farmers from around the globe meet in the GFFA Young Farmers’ Forum in order to draw up a joint declaration on the GFFA’s subject. The declaration is handed over to the agriculture ministers at the Federal Foreign Office.

Other important public events include two so-called High-Level Panels hosted by international organisations and around 15 expert panel discussions hosted by different organisers.

A two-day innovation market takes place as well. The innovation market offers different actors from industry, the scientific community, associations and startups the space and opportunity to engage in dialogues and exchange experiences, whilst providing a setting for visitors and exhibitors to get to know each other.

The so-called “Think Aloud! – GFFA Science Slam” on the GFFA’s main subject will also take place in the BMEL’s exhibition hall during the International Green Week (IGW). A science slam is a science flash talk competition where scientists, within a specified time, present their research topics to a mixed audience.

The GFFA 2020 will examine the subject of trade from every angle. The event is to raise public awareness of the role played by trade and an integrated trading system for global food security. We aim to address the following issues:

• What role does trade play in respect of food security?
• How can we create fair rules for agricultural trade?
• How can we make global supply chains inclusive, sustainable and safe?
• How can we design trade to promote agricultural development?