Germany calls for an animal welfare tax and a mandatory animal welfare label

At its most recent meeting on March 5, the German Federal Council submitted a request to the government for a financing strategy to transform livestock farming to be more environmentally friendly and humane. For this purpose, a tax on meat, milk, and other animal products relating to animal welfare is proposed.

Implementation of the Borchert Commission

The Federal Government has called for concrete measures to be quickly taken to implement the recommendations of the so-called Borchert Commission in order to provide the necessary conditions to transform livestock farming.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food (BMEL) presented the results of the independent feasibility study on the proposals of the Borchert Commission on March 2. The main findings were:

• The study shows which actions are legally possible to finance and promote livestock conversion in Germany and Europe, and which are ruled out for legal or other reasons.
• The study confirms that farmers should be compensated for farm renovation costs to promote animal welfare. Total financing costs are expected to total:
  • 2,900 million euros in 2025,
  • 4,300 million euros in 2030,
  • 4,000 million euros in 2040.

The animal welfare tax as an essential component

In the opinion of the Federal Council, introducing an animal welfare tax on meat, milk and other animal products is a key element in financing the transformation of livestock farming, which is also supported by the majority of consumers. The tax is intended to cover the additional costs of higher animal welfare standards.

Animal welfare label for better labeling

The Federal Council also considers important the introduction of a mandatory state animal welfare label. Many consumers demand that food labels provide information on animal welfare during rearing, transport, and slaughter.