With demands such as a reduction in VAT on “climate-friendly food”, the alliance “We’re fed up” wants to demonstrate in Berlin on Saturday for an agricultural turnaround. Alliance spokeswoman Inka Lange said on Monday that the way food was produced harms the climate, biodiversity and human health. Without a turnaround in agricultural policy and on the subject of nutrition, the climate targets cannot be met.
The alliance’s demonstration at the Green Week agricultural trade fair has been taking place for several years. On Saturday, the motto is “Good food for everyone – instead of profits for a few”. The sponsors of the alliance are representatives of organic and conventional farmers, nature, environmental and animal protection organizations as well as church aid organizations. The Green Week starts on Friday.
The alliance demands fair producer prices, social benefits that make ecological consumption possible, and more arable land for the cultivation of human food instead of fodder. Nabu President Jörg-Andreas Krüger said that reducing meat consumption from currently just over a kilo per week per citizen to 400 grams would create enough space to produce enough food and strengthen biodiversity. Many areas for fodder cultivation would then no longer be required.
Greenpeace boss Martin Kaiser called on politicians to give everyone access to healthy and ecologically produced food. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir should work towards reducing VAT on fruit and vegetables to zero. In return, it could be increased for animal products, Kaiser said.
The alliance wants to hand over its demands to the Green politician Özdemir on Saturday. According to the information, more than 100 organizations support the list of demands, including Brot für die Welt, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, Fridays for Future and Oxfam. The tractor demonstration starts at 8 a.m. in Blankenfelde in Brandenburg. The farmers then drive to the Foreign Office in Berlin, where an international conference of agriculture ministers is meeting. From 12.00 p.m. there will be a demonstration at the Brandenburg Gate.
