Groundwater protection, water supplies, protection of the environment and water bodies: every year on March 22, World Water Day draws attention to the importance of drinking water in particular. This year, an industry is focusing on a pioneering project to protect groundwater: the Canitz water estate near Wurzen is the venue for this year’s Öko-Feldtage on June 18 and 19. As a subsidiary of Leipziger Wasserwerke, the company has been practising organic farming in the drinking water catchment area for the greater Leipzig area for more than 30 years. In this way, it protects the resources from harmful inputs via the soil and ensures the best properties of the groundwater.
The Öko-Feldtage, Germany’s largest trade fair for organic farming, organized by FiBL Projekte GmbH, will pick up on this in June: For the first time, the trade fair will have a thematic focus – water conservation. The industry get-together with over 320 exhibitors will focus on the topic of water. “Many exhibitors have integrated the topic into their stand presentations and are showing innovative solutions and products that promote the responsible use of water in agriculture,” says Carsten Veller, press spokesman for the Öko-Feldtage.
Meeting point WasserGut
At the joint “Treffpunkt WasserGut” stand of Wasserwerke and Wassergut, visitors will gain an insight into the work of the Wasserwerke subsidiary, including its products and projects, on both days of the trade fair. Together with scientific cooperation partners, results from research work on composting stables and forest pasture, for example, will also be presented. The waterworks will also be presenting themselves as a central supplier of drinking water for the region. “Water is one of the most valuable resources we have. Protecting our water resources is not just the responsibility of agriculture, but a task for society as a whole,” emphasizes Bernhard Wagner, Managing Director of Wassergut Canitz GmbH.
Diverse program on the topic of water
The Öko-Feldtage’s Programme also has a clear focus on the topic of water. Experts and practitioners will come together in various forums, workshops and guided tours to discuss current challenges, best practices and forward-looking approaches to water conservation. In addition to the special area for the presentation of water-conserving methods in irrigation technology, there will also be guided tours on adapted varieties in times of climate change and the Canitz/Thallwitz waterworks. Panel discussions on the conflicting objectives of water in agriculture or new solutions such as climate and spongy landscapes round off the program.
Water congress the day before
A water congress on water conservation in agriculture will take place in Leipzig’s city center on 17 June. Together with the Saxon Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture (SMUL), FiBL Projekte GmbH, the organizer of Öko-Feldtage 2025, is organizing the congress, at which practical examples from Saxony, Bavaria and Lower Saxony will be discussed, including how water conservation and agriculture already go hand in hand.
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Background
The nationwide Öko-Feldtage are a two-day meeting place for all farmers who want to find out about new methods for environmentally friendly agriculture. The event offers players from the entire sector an ideal platform to discuss current topics with farmers and representatives from politics and business. The Innovation Show shows where organic farming stands and where it is heading.
The program of the Öko-Feldtage offers a mixture of practice and research in organic crop production and organic animal husbandry. In demonstrations, visitors can see machines in practical use. Innovation examples show prototypes and new developments.
A cultural program and culinary, regional delicacies in organic quality round off the program. The organizer of the Öko-Feldtage is FiBL Projekte GmbH.
Wassergut Canitz GmbH has been an organic farm since 1992 and works according to the guidelines of the organic farming association. The GmbH was founded in 1994 as a subsidiary of Leipziger Wasserwerke. The company’s most important goal is to protect the drinking water resources in the catchment area of the waterworks in Canitz, Thallwitz and Naunhof. The focus is on environmental protection, soil fertility and groundwater recharge. Organic plant and animal products are produced on a total area of 850 hectares. This is done without the addition of synthetic chemical fertilizers. This ensures that no impurities get into the drinking water.
www.l.de/gruppe/das-sind-wir/leipziger-gruppe/wassergut-canitz
The Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture (SMEKUL) is funding the Öko-Feldtage 2025. The patrons are the German Federation of the Organic Food Industry (BÖLW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). REWE and BayWa support the Öko-Feldtage as gold sponsors.