Berlin (dpa) - Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday promised German farmers greater involvement in the setting of new environmental and climate protection measures, a week after thousands descended on Berlin to vent their anger about government policies.

New responses are needed in many areas, Merkel said at an agricultural summit in the German capital that brought together representatives from the sector.

"We want to do that with you, and not against you," she added.

Farmers are "a very important part of society," Merkel said. She expressed "great respect" for their work, noting that it is "difficult." But she also reasserted the need to protect the environment.

The farmers' protest targeted government plans for new standards to protect insects and stricter rules on the use of fertilizers, among other things.

Farmers have warned that the new agricultural and environmental policies threaten their livelihoods.

They rallied in Berlin last week with 5,600 tractors that snagged traffic in and around the capital. Large demonstrations were also held in other German cities in October.

Merkel said there is a "dramatic problem in terms of biodiversity." She noted that farmers are not "the only culprits," but part of the overall system.

She said that they shared the aim of addressing climate change.

At the same time, Merkel also underlined that agriculture is an economic sector that has to operate profitably and said it is important to find approaches that will offer farmers a future and stability. This should be done "cooperatively," she added.

"We want regional products and to have farming at home. This means that you must have a future," she told the summit attendees.

Around 40 agricultural organizations were invited to the meeting.

Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner stressed the need to put the topic of agriculture back at the centre of German society.

It has to be made clear that consumers' desire for improved animal welfare, environmental protection and climate action will cost money, she said, adding that the population is justified in not wanting groundwater to be polluted by high amounts of nitrate.

Goals must be reached in a pragmatic way, Kloeckner said. She added that it is also important for farmers to be able to make long-term investments.

"I know of no farmer who is against insect protection," she noted.

The minister announced that an appreciation campaign and dialogue events will be held next year. Merkel also promised another agricultural summit in the second half of 2020 to reassess the situation.

But criticism came from the ranks of the opposition.

"We urgently need a change in direction," said Gero Hocker of the liberal Free Democratic Party, arguing that new measures should have rigorous scientific backing and be assessed for their economic impact.

Green party parliamentary leader Anton Hofreiter called for agricultural subsidies to be distributed differently and tied to social contributions.

"Instead of large-scale industrial operations, support should go to farmers who champion conservation, environmental protection, climate action and animal welfare," he told dpa.