Germany

Germany: Initiative Tierwohl will continue its program in 2024

The current program phase of the Initiative Tierwohl (ITW) ends in 2023. It is now clear that the ITW will continue its program in 2024 - despite the plans for state animal husbandry labeling - for pigs and poultry. In a joint declaration, representatives from agriculture, the meat industry and trade have agreed to continue Germany's largest animal welfare program.

Posted on Aug 01 ,00:15

ITW Managing Director Dr. Alexander Hinrichs was pleased with the agreement reached and the continuation of the ITW : We will continue! This is another milestone in the ITW success story , adds Dr. Added Alexander Hinrichs. In times like these - the economy is stagnating, energy prices are rising, inflation is continuing - it is good to see that agriculture, the meat industry, trade and, last but not least, consumers are standing together and are committed to animal welfare.

In detail, the agreement reached by the partners of the Animal Welfare Initiative provides for a continuation of the ITW for pigs from 2024, with the current requirements initially remaining unchanged for one year. The animal welfare initiative is currently preparing a concept that has been further developed for level 2 of state labeling for the time when the law on animal husbandry labeling is to be implemented in farms . The implementation of the then further developed ITW for pigs is planned for 2025.

Furthermore, the ITW will also be continued for broilers, turkeys and ducks in 2024, with the husbandry requirements for turkeys and ducks remaining unchanged. The ITW for broilers supplements its requirements for the participating livestock farmers in 2024 and is also planning further development, which will then be implemented from 2025. In the course of the political plans to change the Animal Welfare Livestock Ordinance for turkey husbandry, votes still have to be taken on how things will continue in 2025. According to the ITW , details on this can only be worked out after the political plans have been made concrete.

Furthermore, pig, turkey and chicken fatteners should receive a surcharge recommended by the ITW from their customers for the implementation of animal welfare measures. The ITW recommends farmers to reach agreements with the buyers of the animals in good time, in which the recommended surcharge is recorded.