Good soil for a good future

Burda is committed to regenerative agriculture, both financially and in the media. But what exactly is regenerative agriculture and how does this commitment fit in with our company? Board member Katharina Herrmann has the answers.

Katharina, you have been responsible for sustainability at Burda since the beginning of the year. Today, 5 June, is World Environment Day. What does this day mean to you?

Sustainability is very important to me personally because I am firmly convinced that we all have a responsibility for the future – and should act accordingly. "World Environment Day" is a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of environmental issues and the urgency of sustainable action.

But a single day a year is obviously not enough. Much more important is our day-to-day actions and contribution to sustainability. Our Burda Purpose shows how important the topic is to Burda as a compass for what we want to achieve together in our group of companies – it is explicitly stated: We take our responsibility seriously. For our company. For society and the environment. For a good future.

So today we can take stock – what have we already initiated and successfully implemented, and what are we planning to do? As a production and journalism company, we have a dual responsibility to protect the climate and the environment. I am convinced that we are on the right track with our Getting Better sustainability programme: We are improving step by step – taking stock, implementing measures and reducing carbon emissions wherever possible. We are effectively offsetting the emissions that result directly from our business activities or the energy required for them, and which we cannot yet avoid. In particular, our commitment to regenerative agriculture is making an important contribution to climate and environmental protection.

Burda has been supporting regenerative agriculture as part of its sustainability strategy since 2021. What exactly does this term mean and how does a media company like Burda and regenerative agriculture fit together?

Regenerative agriculture aims to improve the health of the soil. Regenerating the soil and building up healthy humus is an immense lever for storing CO₂ emissions and at the same time benefiting from numerous side effects. This is not just about sequestering CO₂, but about improving the local environment in a holistic way.

My colleagues on the Executive Board and I, as well as the "getting better" team that deals with sustainability issues at Burda, have given a lot of thought to how we can take meaningful action as a company. It was important to us that we could have a measurable impact and that we could get involved in the local environment - and this is exactly what regenerative agriculture can do. Unfortunately, it is still not very well known to the general public. We can change that through our media presence.

In short, we are improving the soil and therefore the climate through our financial and media commitment.

What does our commitment look like?

We are actively working with two partner organisations to deliver on our commitment. Since 2021, we have been working with the Bioland Foundation, which provides training to help farmers increase their knowledge of regenerative methods and convert their farms accordingly. Earlier this year, we entered into a partnership with agritech company Klim. Klim provides a digital platform that connects companies and farmers, providing financial support and expertise to help farmers transition to regenerative practices. We are constantly evaluating other opportunities for collaboration and are open to future developments.

Other companies can also enter into such collaborations. What makes our commitment specific to Burda?

As a media company, we reach millions of readers and consumers. We have the opportunity to explain the benefits of regenerative agriculture and reach a lot of people. Who knows that 50 percent of the land in Germany is used for agriculture? If all this land were farmed using regenerative methods, it would be a huge improvement for the climate and the environment. Through information and education, we can ultimately support a change in the agricultural system. That is why we are working more closely with our editorial teams, they will support "getting better" and regenerative agriculture – even beyond Environment Day. We are delighted, because together we can make a big difference at Burda!