Germany: Lidl is setting new goals for higher levels of husbandry
The fresh meat discounter is now taking the next step and increasing the proportion of its fresh meat range with at least husbandry level 3 to 50% by 2025. Analogous to the successful conversion of the fresh beef range to higher farming methods, the fresh discounter is relying on a comprehensive 5xD range. As early as 2022, Lidl introduced sausage products and fresh meat from pigs, cattle and poultry in all over 3,250 stores in Germany under its own brand "Metzgerfrisch", which is born, reared, fattened, slaughtered and processed in Germany.
"This important step in the further development of our range shows that animal welfare is an important issue for our customers and for us, which is why we implement it consistently. We are confident that the proportion of husbandry levels 3 and 4 can be increased to 100% for all animal species by 2030 if sufficient product availability is guaranteed. The goods that are converted to husbandry level 3 continue to come entirely from local agriculture. However, politics must also create the prerequisites for the restructuring of animal husbandry and towards higher levels of husbandry", says Christoph Graf, managing director of goods at Lidl Service GmbH & Co. KG.
In the area of animal health, the fresh discounter also takes a pioneering position and, together with its partners, has defined mandatory requirements and additional criteria with which animal health in the broiler area can be significantly improved. The criteria are derived from the four focus areas of antibiotic use, animal health index, training and animal transport. By complying with the criteria, all Lidl partner companies will commit themselves, among other things, to continuously reducing their use of antibiotics in the future. By collecting additional animal health parameters, necessary measures to improve animal health on individual farms can be taken more quickly in the future and more qualified statements can be made about rearing. In addition, farms that exceed limit values for certain animal health parameters or in the use of antibiotics will take part in specific training courses in the future. In the area of animal transport, partner companies undertake to at least halve their maximum transport time compared to the legal maximum and to carry out animal transport more gently on warm days through additional measures.
Lidl in Germany is aware that a transformation from the producer level to the shelf only works if there is sufficient planning security. For this reason, the supplier will increasingly enter into long-term contracts to ensure a purchase guarantee. In addition, Lidl advocates for comprehensive legal origin labeling and supports the work of the Central Trade-Agriculture Coordination (ZKHL) to introduce origin labeling in Germany.
The fresh discounter demonstrates its commitment to even higher animal welfare standards and local goods with its own animal welfare label for its own brands at husbandry level 3. From now on, fresh beef products from husbandry level 3 will be labeled with the new label "Fair Husbandry - For the Good of the Animals" in all 3,250 Lidl stores in Germany. The label developed by Lidl in Germany indicates that the products were produced in compliance with the highest animal welfare and environmental standards. The label is based on the criteria of husbandry level 3. In addition, the beef products awarded with the label come 100% from German agriculture and, through a contractual commitment to the partner companies, ensure financial compensation for the additional costs incurred as well as improved planning security for the agricultural companies. In the future, the "Fair Husbandry - For the Good of the Animals" label will mark all products of husbandry level 3 in the Lidl range across all animal species. In addition, all items marked with the label require a passed audit according to the criteria of the Animal Welfare Initiative. The fresh discounter will continue to commit to the successful value-added program developed jointly in the industry in the future.
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