“Meat is part of a healthy diet” – Bavaria

Bavaria’s farmers warn against reducing animal husbandry in Germany. “Meat is part of a healthy diet,” said Farmers’ President Günther Felssner on Wednesday. The pig farmers in particular are under pressure; within ten years, half of the companies have given up in view of the general conditions. “The Schäufele is endangered,” warned Felssner, who has a dairy farm in Middle Franconia. If the development continues, the Schäufele – a Franconian specialty – will come from Spain in the future.

Felssner also opposed plans by Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens), who wants to reduce animal stocks in Germany in favor of animal welfare and climate protection. “This is absolutely the wrong way,” said the President of the Bavarian Farmers’ Association. If people wanted to eat meat, it should also be produced regionally. The way to more animal welfare goes through the shop counter or through transfer payments to the farmers. High quality has its price. In the current crisis, however, people saved when buying groceries.

Felssner also demanded an indication of the origin of the meat in addition to an identification of the husbandry. “That’s part of the truth and clarity of purchasing.” It is not enough to name the type of husbandry if it remains unclear where the product comes from. It is also about the security of supply from our own agriculture.

The farmers called for the implementation of the goal set by the Bavarian state government three years ago to offer at least 50 percent of the products from regional or organic production in state canteens by 2025. State farmer Christine Singer demanded that meat not be allowed to disappear completely from the menu in canteens, but also in kindergartens and schools. There must be a choice. “For me, meat is a high-quality food that we need in our diet.”

It is also part of the cycle in agriculture: if you have animals, you also have fertilizer. Singer also spoke out in favor of an independent school subject to strengthen everyday skills, from nutrition to social issues to dealing with money. A separate course may have to be set up for this.

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