Food & Climate
Germany agriculture minister Alois Rainer has reintroduced meat to the menu at its official events, reversing the pro-vegeterian policy implemented by the previous government.
Rainer confirmed the change in an interview with Bild, stating his preference for meat that is ‘preferably regional’ and locally sourced, according to a report seen by “Food & Climate” platform.
Rainer, a member of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) from Bavaria, took office in May as part of the new ruling coalition under Christian Democrat (CDU) Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The shift ends the policy of former Green party agriculture minister Cem Özdemir, who had ordered only vegetarian dishes to be served at ministry functions. Exceptions had been made, such as for receptions at the Berlin International Green Week, the ministry’s flagship event.
Rainer has ignited a national debate by calling for meat to be served in every school and kindergarten across the country and underscoring the cultural and political shift under chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz, according to “Money Control”.
Reintroducing meat to the menu is not culture war
German agriculture minister Alois Rainer insisted the reintroducing meat to the menu at its official events, reversing the pro-vegeterian policy, was not intended as a ‘culture war’ against vegetarianism or veganism.
“Of course I understand their approach. If you want to be a vegetarian, that’s OK. In the same way, vegan is OK,” he told Bild.
He added that his focus was on quality and freshness rather than imposing dietary rules.
“It should taste good and be fresh – then everything’s OK,” he said.
The CSU leader Markus Söder is known for his hearty meat-based diet, but Rainer emphasised he would not tell people what to eat. The ministry will now offer a broader range of menu options, including meat, at official gatherings, according to “The Scottish Farmer”.
Söder hailed Rainer’s stance as a long-overdue correction of what he called “Tofu-mania.” “Instead of the Green-vegan Özdemir, the black butcher is now coming,” Söder quipped, invoking the black party color of the CDU-CSU and referencing outgoing agriculture minister Cem Özdemir—who is vegetarian, not vegan.
Söder’s remarks reflect how food policy has become an unlikely battleground in Germany’s shifting political landscape. The Greens, long tagged by critics as the “Verbotspartei” or “party of bans,” were punished by voters in February’s elections after years of pushing forward progressive reforms on climate, energy, and social issues.
Encourage citizens to eat less meat
In July, a government advisory board has urged German Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer to encourage citizens to eat less meat and embrace veggie alternatives, including lab-grown meat.
Following his appointment last spring, Rainer, a trained butcher, said that Germans were mature enough to decide for themselves what to put in their shopping baskets.
Just a few months later, the board, known as the agri-food advisory board (WBAE), handed him a report advocating for a shift away from his cherished meat products.
The WBAE concluded that there is room for “more sustainable diets” and that reducing consumption of animal products is key.
One of its proposals is to slash the 19% VAT on plant-based foods, which it calls “tax discrimination” compared to the 7% rate applied to comparable animal products classified as staples. It also recommends gradually increasing taxes on meat and dairy.
“In terms of GHG emissions, plant-based alternative products such as soy drinks generally have advantages per kg of product over the corresponding animal products” the report states, calling for a “climate label” to cover both animal and plant-based foods.
But Rainer may not be ready to stomach the recommendations. “It’s important to me not to pit one against the other,” said the minister, who has sought to reverse course from his Green predecessor Cem Özdemir.
Aware of the sensitivity surrounding food policy, the WBAE has packaged its recommendations in a “3R strategy”: citizens should “Reduce” meat consumption, “Remix” animal and plant-based components, or “Replace” meat with plant-based alternatives, according to “EURACTIVE“.