The bilateral cooperation programme of the BMEL

With the Bilateral Cooperation Programme, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) supports partner countries in establishing productive and resource-conserving agricultural and food industries. The cooperation projects promote bilateral relations and mutual understanding at technical, economic and political levels.

Technical cooperation

The Bilateral Cooperation Programme provides assistance in a spirit of partnership and supports opinion-forming processes in the partner countries in order to promote reliable, legal and organisational conditions and an efficient and sustainable entrepreneurial agri-food industry there. It is mainly aimed at selected emerging countries.

The cooperation in the projects builds on the partner countries' own reform projects or helps raise awareness of important agricultural interrelations and advance opinion-forming processes there. The projects are therefore developed, implemented and managed in close coordination with the partner countries.

Project types

Dialogue projects: Technical talks on the legal framework and administrative implementation, for example on issues such as agricultural trade policy, support policies, land rights, seed sector, cooperative businesses, organic farming and food quality.
Practical demonstration and training projects: testing and transfer of knowledge and technology in cooperation with industry.
Cooperation projects with industry associations: strengthening the capacities for self-organisation in the agricultural sector.