Meat consumers and farmers would be punished by the German government in the name of green policy

The tax on meat products would be significantly increased - farmers are protesting the plan.

German farmers and meat producers may soon feel the weight of another government decision, which punishes meat consumption in the name of green policy and climate change, V4na.com . As it is pointed out, the German agricultural advisory board, Zukunftskommission Landwirtschaft (ZKL), recommends that the value-added tax imposed on meat products be increased from 7 percent to 19 percent, which would mean a significant additional burden for consumers and thus also for meat producers.

A higher tax on meat products is needed to reduce the environmental impact of the food industry and increase animal welfare

- announced the group convened by the government, which consists of representatives of the agricultural sector, retail businesses, and consumer and animal protection groups.

Green Party Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir welcomed the proposal. According to the daily newspaper Bild, he has long supported increasing the price of meat in order to finance better conditions for animal husbandry. At the same time, Özdemir wants to reduce the VAT on fruits and vegetables to zero, with the intention of a "health-promoting effect".

At the same time, the lobby group of the German Farmers' Association (DBV) rejected the tax increase on steaks, sausages, hams and other meat products, saying that the money intended to improve the conditions of livestock farming should be raised directly from the state budget. "In addition, it must be ensured that farmers receive the necessary support," said Joachim Rukwied, head of the DBV.

This is not the first time that the left-liberal government has angered the farmers. As is known, mass demonstrations were organized at the beginning of the year, criticizing the climate policy of the cabinet, the bureaucracy and the tax increases that are destroying the livelihood of farmers. These unpopular green measures have contributed to a decrease in people's trust in the government, and only about a third of voters support one of the three parties that make up the current cabinet, reminds The European Conservative. A January poll found that 86 percent of people said they sympathized with the protesting farmers.

Photo: Rudy and Peter Skitterians / Pixabay