AGRITECHNICA 2025 aims for sustainable productivity growth

AGRITECHNICA 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for agricultural machinery, officially opened in Hannover, Germany, bringing together more than 2,800 exhibitors from 52 countries and expecting to welcome around 430,000 visitors. Under the theme “Touch Smart Efficiency,” the event is recognized as a global hub for innovation and for shaping the future of sustainable agriculture.

Opportunities for agricultural innovation

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Hubertus Paetow, President of the German Agricultural Society (DLG), emphasized that AGRITECHNICA serves as a central source of inspiration for innovation and progress, while urging farmers worldwide to work toward a future of sustainable productivity growth.

Paetow also addressed the challenging global market environment for agriculture: “The world is in upheaval. Political certainties are disappearing at a rapid pace - whether in Washington, the Kremlin, Gaza, or Berlin. Hardly a week passes without new tariff threats or military provocations.” In this situation, Germany and the rest of Europe face particular political and economic pressures, Paetow noted, referring to the economic policy concept of the EU Green Deal, which has not achieved its intended goals.

Paetow attributed the shortcomings of the Green Deal not only to changing global conditions but above all to its flawed basic assumption that economic growth cannot be reconciled with ecological progress. In implementing the Green Deal, every growth dynamic was “stifled by static instruments of bureaucratic regulation.”

For the agricultural sector, the departure from the Green Deal represents an opportunity, Paetow made clear: “It opens up space for new paths and solutions for progress.” What remains after the end of the Green Deal, he continued, “are the unresolved questions of progress - food security, climate protection, and biodiversity conservation.”

In this context, the DLG assumes responsibility with its new guiding principle: “Sustainable Productivity Growth.” At its core is the expansion of the traditional concept of productivity to include ecological resource consumption. Sustainable productivity growth also means measuring and evaluating climate protection and biodiversity and relating them to the need for yield increases to ensure global food security.

“With the guiding principle of sustainable productivity growth, we have a clear direction for progress,” emphasized Paetow. “And I believe this gives us everything we need. We don’t have to wait for others to act. The momentum we so urgently need now, in agriculture and across society, cannot be initiated by politics, civil society, or even the European Commission. We have to take that step ourselves,” the DLG President urged his audience. Industry representatives and farmers should use their visit to Agritechnica “to look ahead together toward a successful future for agriculture - a future of joint progress into the era of sustainable productivity growth.”

Technological innovation - The key to the future

Anthony van der Ley, representative of the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association, stated that Europe is the “global hub for agricultural technology innovation,” bringing together ambitious farmers and engineers. “Progress requires motivation - and high demands are precisely that motivation,” he said.

As the host region, Lower Saxony’s Minister-President Olaf Lies expressed his honor in supporting AGRITECHNICA, a pioneering event for innovation and the future of agriculture. “This year’s theme truly reflects the spirit of tomorrow’s agriculture, where technology and sustainable responsibility go hand in hand,” he shared.

Echoing this view, Lower Saxony’s Minister of Agriculture Miriam Staudte emphasized, “Only environmentally friendly, resource-efficient, and low-emission technologies can ensure long-term productivity and competitiveness. Sustainability is not opposed to efficiency; it is its foundation.”

The technical program offers numerous highlights, including the new Digital Farm Center in Hall 21 - an interactive experience world showcasing digital technologies such as robotics, GPS systems, sensor technology, and software solutions for agriculture.DLG Spotlights will focus on topics such as Digital Farming, Soil Health, and live demonstrations of service work in the “Werkstatt-Live” spotlight. Running in parallel with Agritechnica is Systems & Components, the B2B marketplace for suppliers to the agricultural machinery and off-highway sectors.

German Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer affirmed that AGRITECHNICA is “a symbol of Germany’s agricultural innovation strength, export capability, and future adaptability.” He emphasized that modern technologies, from robotics and sensors to artificial intelligence, are opening the door to smart, resource-efficient, and environmentally friendly farming.