Katarina Barley is the new ambassador for German bread. (Photo: © Central Association of the German Bakery Trade)
Read aloud:
May 2026
Katarina Barley is the new ambassador for German bread. The Vice-President of the European Parliament and member of the SPD party executive committee is an important link between the baking trade and the EU.
On German Bread Day, May 5th, the Central Association of the German Bakery Trade traditionally appoints a new Bread Ambassador. This year, it is MEP Katarina Barley (SPD) . During her term, the politician and lawyer with a doctorate will champion German bread culture and represent the baking trade both domestically and internationally.
"For me, the baking trade is an expression of German culture. This quality and variety of bread specialties is found nowhere else in the world. As a bread ambassador, I want to give a voice to the interests of bakers in Europe," Barley told the Central Association. See interview below .
The issue of skilled worker shortages is particularly close to her heart: "My biggest concern is supporting owner-operated bakeries. Many are closing down, partly because they can't find a successor. I want to encourage people to learn this vital craft. Artificial intelligence will radically change many professions, making some obsolete. Now is the time for traditional apprenticeships in skilled trades."
Bakers' Association President Roland Ermer emphasized their pride in securing the MEP as the new Bread Ambassador : "With Katarina Barley, we have gained a dedicated politician for this honorary position who is exceptionally well-connected within the European context. The EU is becoming increasingly important for us as well, since a large part of the regulation originates in Brussels. It is therefore all the more important to have a contact person there."
Operations management
Operations management
Operations management
Central Association: Why is the baking trade so important in Germany?
Katarina Barley: For me, the baker's craft is an expression of German culture. This incredible quality and variety of bread specialties is found nowhere else in the world. The baker's craft can be proud of this tradition and authenticity. Bread is, for me, the quintessential staple food.
Central Association: What role does the German baking trade play in Europe?
Barley: In Europe and around the world, people talk about German bread. Right in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, there's a market every Thursday, and there's a very popular stall selling German bread. German bread has a good reputation everywhere, and German bakeries abroad are very popular. The German guilds and associations play an important role in representing the interests of German bakers and are a model for the rest of Europe.
Central Association: What are your goals as a bread ambassador?
Barley: I want to build on the excellent reputation of the German baking trade and further promote this unique bread culture throughout Europe. Above all, I want to listen to bakers and give voice to their concerns and worries in Europe, for example, regarding reducing bureaucracy or energy supply. And my biggest priority is supporting owner-operated bakeries. Many are closing down, partly because they can't find a successor. I want to encourage people to learn this vital craft.
Central Association: Why is it important to buy your bread from a regional artisan baker?
Photo: © Central Association of the Bakery Tradebarley: I think it's generally important to strengthen regional economic cycles. You can't always just shop online or industrially and then expect local supply structures, as well as training and job opportunities, to be maintained. We should all be interested in supporting the local economy and thus securing jobs locally in the long term.
Regional value creation also plays an important role beyond this, such as cooperation with local farmers or a nearby mill. Many people only realize how important decentralized structures are when they disappear.
In the village where I live, the bakery recently closed due to a lack of a successor. This means the loss of an important meeting place and a part of village life. When my children were in kindergarten, they visited the local bakery and learned with great enthusiasm where our bread comes from. It's important that we maintain a connection to the production of our food and that bread doesn't simply come from a supermarket shelf. It's a matter of appreciation.
And of course, the cultural aspect also counts: Bread culture will only remain alive and be preserved if bakers have the entrepreneurial freedom to bake the bread that their customers love and like to buy.
Central Association: The baking trade is an energy-intensive industry and therefore demands affordable energy prices as well as planning and investment security from policymakers. What can the European Union contribute to this?
Barley: The European Union is finally in the process of establishing a genuine internal energy market. We have very different energy sources in the individual countries: one country has a lot of hydropower, others focus on nuclear energy, and we are strong in renewable energies. We need to be much more successful in combining these strengths, because we need each other. The French need us when it's too hot for the cooling water in their nuclear power plants, and we need support when the sun isn't shining. The plan is an unbureaucratic European energy market without obstacles. We need to improve significantly and cooperate even more closely in this area to be able to permanently lower energy prices.
Source: Central Association of the Bakery Trade
The Bread Ambassador for 2025 was ZDH President Jörg Dittrich.
The Bread Ambassador for 2024 was CSU politician and future Federal Minister for Research and Space, Dorothee Bär (CSU).
The Bread Ambassador for 2023 was the future Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil (SPD).
The Bread Ambassador for 2022 was Gitta Connemann from the CDU.
The Bread Ambassador for 2021 was actress Almila Bagriacik
The bread ambassadors for 2020 were all German guild bakers during the Corona year.
The Bread Ambassador in 2019 was the then FDP leader Christian Lindner.
The Bread Ambassador for 2018 was the author and presenter Enie van de Meiklokjes.
The 2017 Bread Ambassador was the Green Party politician Cem Özdemir.
The Bread Ambassador for 2016 was the actor Simon Licht.
The Bread Ambassador in 2015 was the then Head of the Federal Chancellery, Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU).
The bread ambassador for 2014 was chef Tim Mälzer.
The Bread Ambassadors in 2013 were actor Simon Gosejohann and politician Michael Glos (CSU).
DHB now also available digitally! Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!
Newsletter
Write a comment