What is your view on this, Professor Wieck?

As head of the Department of Agricultural and Food Policy at the University of Hohenheim, Prof. Dr. Wieck contributes to public debate and policymaking in various formats. On this page, we have compiled her contributions and statements:

Memberships

Co-Chair of the WBAE

Together with health psychologist Britta Renner, Christine Wieck is chair of the Scientific Advisory Board on Agricultural Policy, Food and Consumer Health Protection (WBAE).

You can find the article in Kurz gemeldet.

Keynote talks on the design of the CAP from 2028 onwards

Kick-off event on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027 in Baden-Württemberg

Kick-off event on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027 in Baden-Württemberg

At the Kick-off event on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027 in Baden-Württemberg on 1 October 2025, Professor Wieck was also present. In the afternoon, she contributed to the discussion in the working group “Regional marketing of agricultural products and consumer expectations” with a short impulse talk on societal demands.

Professor Wieck's key points:

  • Societal demands on agriculture, especially in the areas of animal husbandry, crop production and food security, remain high. In view of climate change, global pressure on natural resources, geopolitical crises and a growing world population, agriculture is expected not only to produce sustainably, but also to remain resilient in times of crisis. At the same time, dietary habits are changing. While the consumption of animal products remains widespread, diets are becoming more diverse overall, and awareness is growing that nutrition is a task for society as a whole.
  • However, consumers’ focus on prices has also become more pronounced in the long term. Many now buy special offers, private-label products or cheaper alternatives more often. Sustainable and regional products still play a role, but are increasingly in demand only if the price is right.
  • For agricultural businesses, this means balancing consumer price pressure with demands for animal welfare, sustainability and quality. Cost efficiency and higher sustainability requirements therefore need to be reconciled in farm production. Segmenting the product range from low-cost standard products to high-quality specialty products opens up opportunities.
  • The food retail sector is also actively driving change. However, these measures are often not implemented nationwide, and financing often remains insufficient, especially when political support, as envisaged in the Borchert Commission’s concept, is lacking.
  • This accelerates structural change. Farms that already meet high standards (e.g. animal welfare label level 3) can benefit from windfall gains and secure their future. Farms that have not yet reached these standards, by contrast, face difficult decisions about how a conversion can be financed. This often leads to an (orderly) exit from production.

The full statement can be found here (in German).

DA short version of the statement can be found here (in German).

Committee for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism

Committee for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism

On 29 April 2026, Professor Wieck was invited to present her statement on the “Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy from 2028 onwards” to the Committee for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism.

Professor Wieck’s key points:

  • As already noted by the WBAE and the ZKL in their publications, direct payments are not an appropriate instrument for securing farm incomes. Direct payments should be phased out gradually over a longer period and increasingly oriented towards rewarding public goods and ecosystem services.
  • There are various approaches to supporting small-scale farming structures.
  • To prevent competitive distortions between EU Member States and a potential “race to the bottom,” especially in agri-environmental and nature conservation policy, the European Commission should introduce appropriate monitoring and sanctioning systems.
  • Financing the agricultural sector requires a clear link between policy objectives, measurable target achievement and transparent evaluation of whether those targets have been met.
  • Consideration should be given to mechanisms that involve young farmers and stakeholders from youth organisations in shaping the CAP.
  • A pure focus on regional self-sufficiency is not a suitable or sensible policy objective.
  • The close interconnections in trade and the global economy at various levels underline the need for solutions based on consensus and compromise. There is a wide range of policy instruments available at the international level for this purpose.
  • The European Commission should continue to play a strong role in ensuring comparability and minimum standards across EU Member States.

The full statement and supporting evidence for Professor Wieck’s position can be found here (in German).

Commentaries on EU and German federal agricultural policy

Statement in Agra Europe of 18 March 2025

Statement in Agra Europe of 18 March 2025

Article: “Ensuring Food Security – Protecting the Environment” of 18 March 2025

Professor Wieck’s key points:

  • The agricultural and food system faces a range of challenges; the environment in which it operates has become increasingly uncertain.
  • The narrative of food security in the EU should not be used to weaken the protection of natural resources or efforts to combat climate change.
  • Setting food security and competitiveness against each other is not productive, as the two goals are not necessarily in conflict.
  • Lowering the level of ambition in environmental and climate protection is difficult to reconcile with the demand for a strong agricultural budget.
  • Particularly relevant areas for action are better and more reliable funding for improved animal welfare.

The full article can be found at Agra Europe.

Article in Wirtschaftsdienst, February 2026

Article in Wirtschaftsdienst, February 2026

Professor Wieck also wrote an impulse piece on the reform of EU agricultural policy after 2028 for the journal Wirtschaftsdienst.

Professor Wieck’s key points:

  • The proposals for the MFF and the CAP after 2028 amount more to a “restructuring” of the CAP’s financial architecture than to addressing key future issues such as better alignment of the CAP with food policy, animal welfare policy, or biodiversity and nature conservation policy.
  • Area-based direct payments are still set to account for a substantial share of the agricultural budget — in clear contradiction to the scientific consensus that direct payments in their current form should be phased out gradually, as they are too poorly targeted to address the major challenges in agri-environmental policy, climate policy or animal welfare.
  • The proposed greater flexibility in programming funds under the NRPF further promotes a stronger renationalisation of agricultural policy, which could lead to additional distortions of competition in the EU single market if sufficient monitoring and sanctioning mechanisms are not put in place.

The full article can be found in Wirtschaftsdienst.

Assessment in Agra Europe of 30 April 2026

Assessment in Agra Europe of 30 April 2026

Article: “It Remains Strong Only Together” of 30 April 2026

  • In the area of animal husbandry, there is still a need for action; in particular, the abolition of the Federal Programme for the Transformation of Animal Husbandry (BUT) is viewed critically.
  • Challenges facing the agricultural system, such as climate change and energy security, are closely linked to various policy areas and affect both the regional and global levels.
  • Addressing these challenges requires cooperation at different levels. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) can provide guidance if it is designed accordingly; otherwise, it will be difficult to justify the high level of spending on it.

The full article can be found at Agra Europe.

Other public contributions

Further public contributions

Interested in an appointment?

Please register for Professor Wieck’s open office hours with Ms Beate Hammer.

Further information about the open office hours can be found on the Homepage.