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Cem Özdemir (2014 with hemp plant and the then spokesman for the Berlin Green State Working Group on Drug Policy, Tibor Harrach)
Photo: Bernd Von Jutrczenka / picture alliance / dpa
Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir has spoken out against dumping prices for food.
"There must be no more junk prices for food, they drive farms into ruin, prevent more animal welfare, promote species extinction and pollute the climate," said the Green politician of "Bild am Sonntag".
He also predicted a hemp boom in German fields after the legalization of cannabis and announced binding regulations for less sugar in food.
At the same time, his party colleague, Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, in the newspapers of the Funke media group, called for a sharp reduction in the use of pesticides in agriculture in order to stop the extinction of species.
Higher food prices, less sugar
From the point of view of Cem Özdemir, the prices for food and agricultural products must rise.
He wanted people in Germany to appreciate their food as much as their cars.
"Sometimes I have the feeling that a good motor oil is more important to us than a good salad oil," criticized the minister.
Food is not likely to become a luxury good.
"But the price has to express the ecological truth more strongly," said Özdemir.
The Federal Minister of Agriculture is planning stricter requirements for finished products so that people can eat more healthily.
"Germany's diet is generally too unhealthy," said the Green politician.
Over 50 percent of adults are overweight.
"The reason for this is too much sugar, fat, and salt, especially in convenience foods," he said.
»Politicians have tried for too long to induce the industry to reduce these ingredients by making voluntary commitments.
Not anymore.
With me there will be binding reduction targets. "
More organic products, fewer farm animals
The Minister of Agriculture is also aiming to expand the area of organically tilled fields by 2030 from just under 10 percent to 30 percent at present, and to use the “buying power of the state”: catering in public facilities should be converted to more regional and organic products.
"The state must be a role model."
Özdemir wants to limit the number of farm animals in Germany: "It would be better to keep fewer animals and keep them better."
This is a "win-win for humans and animals".
In addition, Özdemir announced that "next year it will provide more transparency with clearly understandable animal husbandry labeling on meat".
In order to better enforce animal welfare, Özdemir wants to increase the range of punishment.
At the same time, appropriate controls are needed.
"We want to create the legal basis for camera-based surveillance in large slaughterhouses so that we know what is happening," said the minister of "Bild am Sonntag".
Cannabis use should be legal soon
Cem Özdemir sees great interest in the legalization of cannabis among farmers in Germany.
"Many farmers are in the starting blocks to grow hemp," he told the newspaper.
“As soon as the Bundestag has passed the Health Minister's law, agriculture will also grow these crops.
The CDU can no longer forbid us to do so, ”he continued with a swipe at the ruling party for the past 16 years.
The traffic light coalition made up of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP is planning a “controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for consumption in licensed shops”.
This would "control the quality, prevent the transfer of contaminated substances and ensure the protection of minors," says the coalition agreement.
The cultivation of hemp plants has so far been allowed for medical purposes.
Özdemir rejected criticism of the legalization plans of the substance, which was previously classified as an illegal drug but still consumed in large parts of the population.
"Nobody should smoke their pear away, but I'm glad that the madness of the cannabis ban is finally ending," he told the newspaper.
Anyone who buys from an illegal dealer does not know what is contained and possibly has side effects.
"Legalization, as we are now planning, strengthens youth and consumer protection - and it relieves our police, who can concentrate on the black market with hard drugs," he argued.
The police unions have expressed skepticism about this in the past.
The Union parties are also strictly against cannabis at the counter and refer to the risks.
Lemke: Less pesticides, more species protection
Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (also Greens) has warned against giving climate protection a higher priority than protecting species. There are two major ecological crises on our planet that "must be resolved together: the climate crisis and the crisis of species extinction," said the Green politician in the newspapers of the Funke media group. One is just as important as the other. Both crises threatened the natural foundations of life to a blatant extent.
Lemke therefore calls for a strong reduction in the use of pesticides in agriculture.
“I'm not assuming that we will be able to do without pesticides entirely within four years.
But we need a significant reduction if we are to stop insect death, ”she said.
"We can reduce the use of pesticides through financial incentives, but also through regulatory law."
She is convinced that most farmers want to use less pesticides.
For decades, however, they have been forced into a predicament by the European agricultural policy, with farms growing and having to generate more income or being bought up.
Lemke criticized the decision to continue the European agricultural policy for the next seven years with the participation of the previous government.
»We urgently need to get out of this system of simple area payments, which are paid without any ecological consideration.
The traffic light government will have to prepare for this over the next four years.
Only in this way will we have enough healthy and varied food, «demanded the environment minister.
abl / dpa
