Abstract
The planned cuts to agriculture in the wake of the budget crisis have sparked fierce protests across Germany. Although the proposed cuts were not very large in themselves, some speculated that they would finally “break the camel’s back”. The authors of this Zeitgespräch shed light on the development to date, the current situation and the future of agriculture in Germany and also critically assess the agricultural policy measures in Germany and the EU. The German agricultural industry is facing a major transformation and the question arises as to how it can be managed.