The average age of a farmer in the European Union is almost 60. Generational renewal – ensuring that younger farmers take up the profession to enable continuity in agriculture – is therefore a priority of the Common Agricultural Policy: in Germany, and across the EU.

Every year, Food for Europe visits the annual Green Week in Berlin to moderate a panel discussion – this time on the challenges and opportunities of generational renewal. This podcast brings you an edited summary of our live debate —you can find the complete live broadcast on our YouTube page.

Our guests were: Lennart Bertels, President of 'Junges Bioland'; Thomas Fleischmann, state chairman of the Bavarian Young Farmers' Association; Marie Hofmann, a public relations worker in agriculture; Alina Horsch from the Forum Moderne Landwirtschaft; and Elisabeth Werner, Director-General for Agriculture and Rural Development at the European Commission. We also spoke separately to Christoph Hansen, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, and the podcast includes some responses from him.