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Germany's ‘butcher' minister told to push for greener diets
Germany's ‘butcher' minister told to push for greener diets

Euractiv

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Germany's ‘butcher' minister told to push for greener diets

Government advisors in Germany are pushing for a shift in food policy to promote plant-based options and discourage excessive meat consumption Euractiv is part of the Trust Project Maria Simon Arboleas Euractiv Jul 23, 2025 16:14 3 min. read News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A government advisory board has urged German Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer to encourage citizens to eat less meat and embrace veggie alternatives, including lab-grown meat. Following his appointment last spring, Rainer, a trained butcher, said that Germans were mature enough to decide for themselves what to put in their shopping baskets. Just a few months later, the board, known as the agri-food advisory board (WBAE), handed him a report advocating for a shift away from his cherished meat products. The WBAE concluded that there is room for 'more sustainable diets' and that reducing consumption of animal products is key. One of its proposals is to slash the 19% VAT on plant-based foods, which it calls "tax discrimination' compared to the 7% rate applied to comparable animal products classified as staples. It also recommends gradually increasing taxes on meat and dairy. 'In terms of GHG emissions, plant-based alternative products such as soy drinks generally have advantages per kg of product over the corresponding animal products' the report states, calling for a 'climate label' to cover both animal and plant-based foods. But Rainer may not be ready to stomach the recommendations. 'It's important to me not to pit one against the other,' said the minister, who has sought to reverse course from his Green predecessor Cem Özdemir. Aware of the sensitivity surrounding food policy, the WBAE has packaged its recommendations in a '3R strategy': citizens should 'Reduce' meat consumption, 'Remix' animal and plant-based components, or 'Replace' meat with plant-based alternatives. The board's push is nothing new to Rainer, as we knew from day one he would be treading a tightrope on food policy matters. The coalition agreement between Rainer's conservative Christian Democrats and the centre-left Social Democrats already includes a pledge to support 'alternative proteins'. The WBAE report specifies that this includes cell-based meat and precision fermentation, which is used to replicate proteins and enzymes found in foods such as eggs and milk without involving animals. The board also hopes that the EU will adopt more 'innovation-friendly' rules. The European Commission is currently considering whether to fast-track the approval of so-called novel foods, many of which have drawn criticism from several EU farm ministers. The report also references another ongoing debate in Brussels: whether traditional meat terms can be used for plant-based products. While the EU executive recently yielded to pressure to tighten labelling rules, the German board is advocating a 'regulatory chill.' Meanwhile, the German government's advisory body endorsed the Nutri-score labelling system and joined criticism of the NOVA classification for ultra-processed foods, warning that it could penalise some plant-based products unfairly. Jeremias Lin contributed reporting. (adm, de)

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