German agriculture minister says end of ‘junk prices for food’ will protect animals and climate

Germany's new agriculture minister Cem Özdemir from the Green Party wants people to “value their food as much as their cars”, he told Bild am Sonntag in an interview at the end of last year. In his new role, he plans to push for reasonable prices for food and agricultural products. “There must be no more junk prices for food; they drive farms to ruin, prevent more animal welfare, promote the extinction of species and harm the climate,” Özdemir told the newspaper. Prices will have to “express the ecological truth more strongly,” he said, adding that the number of farm animals in Germany must be reduced. His three important goals as minister will be a secure and good income for farmers, healthy food for all, more animal welfare, and climate and environmental protection. He plans to expand the area of organically farmed agricultural land from currently just under 10 to 30 percent by 2030 and drive demand for organic products by making it a standard for food orders from state institutions to. Özdemir added that many farmers would welcome the new government's plans to legalise the use of the "agricultural crop" cannabis for recreational purposes.

Agricultural emissions in Germany have fallen by around 24 percent since 1990, in large part due to the decrease in livestock numbers after German reunification. Germany’s Climate Action Law sets an emission budget for the agriculture sector of 56 million tonnes CO2 equivalent in 2030 (down from 70 mt in 2020).