Sustainable agricultural and food systems Future-proofing livestock husbandry: the Federal Programme for Supporting the Transformation of Livestock Farming

With the Federal Programme for Supporting the Transformation of Livestock Farming, the German Government is assisting livestock farmers to future-proof their operations. Key pillars of the programme are promoting investment in especially livestock-friendly construction and conversion schemes and supporting the ongoing additional expenses that may result from switching to farming methods that prioritise animal welfare. The programme is one of several self-standing components of the German Government’s plans to future-proof livestock farming in Germany. The German Government has also introduced compulsory state-regulated animal welfare labelling, which establishes a binding, transparent and reliable framework enabling consumers to make a conscious choice between different types of husbandry. Labelling is mandatory for fresh pig meat from Germany, for example. In addition, amendments to building and permit law have been introduced, enabling farmers to make the adaptations necessary for more livestock-friendly forms of husbandry.

Furthermore, to the extent that EU law permits, the German Government has extended labelling of origin to non-prepackaged pig, sheep and goat meat and poultry and is lobbying at EU level for the broad-scale expansion of labelling of origin so that consumers can identify where their meat is sourced from. This increases transparency both for consumers and for domestic agriculture.