Hon. Minister Anja Karliczek’s visit to RIELA®

Africa is an important cooperation partner for RIELA®.

Promoting Education for Sustainable Development

RIESENBECK. Adapting agriculture to changing climatic conditions – this is not just the only issue that farmers have to deal with.

According to a press release, Anja Karliczek, CDU member of the Bundestag and Federal Minister of Education and Research, has reported during a visit to Riesenbeck that for many years the Federal Government has also been supporting the regions most severely affected by climate change in southern and western Africa in setting up scientific institutions.

The Riela company has been developing economic relations with Africa from there for years. “Farming is Business” is written on a poster in the Riela exhibition hall. And that’s exactly what worries him, says owner Karl-Heinz Knoop. “Africa needs our support to build functioning agriculture and distribution networks,” he quotes in the press release. “But it is not enough to supply machines and create distribution networks. It says literally: We must train the farmers so that they can handle the dryers, cleaners, maize shellers, feed silos and mixers. In particular, we need to train women and provide them with simple tools, because the work in agriculture is often still women’s work”. Knoop also believes it makes sense to train machine operators in Germany so that they can pass on their knowledge in their home countries

However, this was not so easy due to the strict visa regulations.

Godfrey Marange, originally from Zimbabwe, responsible for sales and installation in Africa, reports that the supply of modular systems has proven successful. The assembly on site could create additional jobs and thus keep the value added in the respective country. Siba Laurent Koropogui comes from the Republic of Guinea, studies agricultural engineering at the university of Weihenstephan, Bavaria, and is currently writing his thesis. He came to Riela through an internship and can hardly wait to set up production of components and service networks in his home country.

According to the press release, Karliczek considers “Education for Sustainable Development” to be one of the most important topics. ‘’We need to create perspectives and markets.” The Africa Strategy of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is aimed, among other things, at establishing and expanding cooperation on food needs and climate change within a reliable framework and creating a livelihood for local people.