General Meeting 2023

Society for Hop Research reorganises its Board of Directors

Wolnzach/Hüll, 9 March 2023 Before the start of the new hop year, the Society for Hop Research (GfH) invited members to its general meeting at the German Hop Museum in Wolnzach. The GfH traditionally reviews the past fiscal year and at the same time provides an outlook on current challenges and research projects for the coming growing season.

In close cooperation with the Bavarian State Research Centre for Agriculture (LfL), practical research is carried out at the Hop Research Centre in Hüll and work is done on securing the future of Germany as a hop-growing location. To coincide with the general meeting, the LfL and GfH are therefore publishing the latest research results in the “Annual Report – Special Crop Hops” before the start of the season.

In his report on the past fiscal year, Dr. Michael Möller, Chairman of the GfH Board of Directors, focused in particular on the construction of the new vegetation hall for the Breeding Research Department, which represents the largest single investment at the Hüll Hop Research Centre in recent decades and provides the research centre’s staff with an attractive environment for scientific work at the highest level. Dr Möller emphasised that the new high alpha variety TITAN, for which EU-wide variety protection was applied for last year, was a milestone in breeding research with regard to the development of more sustainable hop growing in Germany.
Dr Möller also discussed the additional funding of research positions for necessary special projects from the income generated by the licensing system and praised the high level of commitment and far-sightedness of the scientists in all areas of work at the Hop Research Centre.
As scheduled, new elections for the GfH’s Board of Directors and Technical-Scientific Advisory Board took place at the General Meeting. While Dr. Michael Möller was confirmed in office as Chairman of the Board, Dr. Bernd Schmidt (Treasurer), Peter Hintermeier (Dt. Hopfenwirtschaftsverband) and the Head Ministerialdirigent Friedrich Mayer StmELF, Munich did not stand for re-election.
The General Meeting elected Sylke Moerke, Flensburger Brauerei (Treasurer), Pascal Pirouè, Dt. Hopfenwirtschaftsverband and Wolfgang Wintzer as representative of StmELF as new members of the Board. Also confirmed in office were Adi Schapfl, Dt. Hop Growers Association, Dr. Willy Buholzer, AB-Inbev and Dr. Stefan Lustig, Anadolu-Efes.
Guest speaker Jan Niewodniczanski, GF Technology and Environment of Bitburger Braugruppe GmbH, shed light on the sustainability contribution of hop production right through to the finished beer and praised the efforts of hop growers and hop trading houses in terms of sustainable business management and production.

The photo shows the newly elected Board of the Society (from left to right: Adi Schapfl, Dr. Michael Möller (Chairman of the Board), Ministerial Councillor Wolfgang Wintzer, Pascal Piroué, Dr. Stefan Lustig). Not in the picture: Dr Willy Buholzer and Sylke Moerke (Deputy Chair and Treasurer).