Poultry industry sees decision year for conversion of livestock farming
The German poultry industry is calling on the governing traffic light coalition to set the right course as quickly as possible so that livestock farmers have viable future prospects in Germany: "2022 is the decisive year for livestock farming in this country in order to achieve better animal welfare under reliable framework conditions. Every month that goes by without a solution will be accompanied by farm deaths," says Friedrich-Otto Ripke, President of the Central Association of the German Poultry Industry (ZDG).
Ripke refers to the precarious situation of many keepers in the poultry industry. They haven't been able to achieve cost-covering prices for a long time. Stables are increasingly empty because animal husbandry is becoming less and less worthwhile. Cheap meat from abroad is increasingly penetrating the market – mostly with significantly lower animal welfare and climate protection standards. The current agricultural census is an alarm signal, according to which only 41 percent of farm owners aged 55 and over have a farm successor, warns Ripke: "Without quick and consistent decisions, the future of German livestock farming will be lost."
Labeling also for gastronomy
According to Ripke, the mandatory husbandry and origin labeling, which is included in the coalition agreement, is the right plan for the future. The National Livestock Strategy Competence Group (the so-called Borchert Commission) has already developed a detailed concept for the conversion of livestock farming. Concrete recommendations on husbandry criteria and their further development up to 2040 are on the table. They can and must finally be used politically: "We don't have a knowledge problem, but an increasingly chronic weakness in politics when it comes to implementation!" The labeling must also include the areas of gastronomy and wholesale, which make up more than half of the market. The animal welfare initiative's already established husbandry form label could serve as a model for a state label. Ripke: "It would be foolish not to use an established seal that, according to surveys, over 60% of consumers know better than the EU organic label."
State protection for animal welfare stables
At the same time, the ZDG President urges that the necessary funding for animal welfare-friendly stables be tackled in parallel with the labelling. He welcomes the initiative by Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir against cheap food, which is ruining farms and preventing more animal welfare. "Anyone who wants to put an end to the practice of junk prices for meat has to hit the ground running and establish a financial system for the companies that compensates for investments and high running costs," says Ripke. Here, too, the Borchert Commission, after intensive consideration, has already developed a proposal as a realistic way: State-guaranteed financing through duties and/or taxes. The plan of the traffic light coalition to impose the burden solely on the market participants - and thus above all on consumers and trading companies - is a mistake, emphasizes Ripke: "Politicians, retailers and livestock farmers must now work together on implementation in an honest partnership. The time for superficial banter is over. We must not fall back into the past, we need clear decisions about the future now!”
icon image, pixabay
About the ZDG
The Central Association of the German poultry industry e. V. represents as a trade roof and top organization, the interests of the German poultry industry at national and EU level towards political, official and professional organizations, the public and abroad. The approximately 8.000 members are organized in federal and state associations.
