Government calls for "fart tax" for cows - CSU outraged: "Can forget our beautiful landscape right away"

Created: 08/10/2022 09:53

By: Claudia Möllers

Mad cow disease (BSE) and the resulting Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans were a big topic at the end of the 1990s.

© Peter Steffen/dpa/symbol photo

The head of the Federal Environment Agency is calling for a tax on CO2 emissions from cows.

CSU and animal experts consider the head of the Federal Environment Agency's idea to be unworkable.

Munich/Miesbach – When climate change is discussed, the cows always come up for discussion.

Dirk Messner, head of the Federal Environment Agency, has emphasized that no other farm animal digests as harmful to the climate as the cow, which generates methane via the rumen.

It is logical to make farmers pay for their CO2 emissions.

An idea that the

newspaper garnished with the line "Fart tax for cows".

Criticism of payment for CO2 emissions: "ideological campaign against livestock"

Alexander Radwan (CSU), who represents the Bundestag constituencies of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen and Miesbach with many cattle farmers, only finds this funny to a limited extent.

For the farmers, this has a dangerous background, “because the traffic light goal of climate-neutral agriculture endangers the existence of classic and small-scale cattle farming”.

Radwan is annoyed by an "ideological campaign against livestock farming" by the Greens in particular.

The conversion of livestock farming to the goal of climate neutrality stipulated in the coalition agreement is “nothing less than an attack on our agriculture”.

If butter and beef were branded as climate-damaging products and the "air of the cows" were taxed, "then we can forget our traditional structures and the beautiful landscape right away," complains Radwan.

Taxes on CO2 emissions from cows: experts worry about rising prices

Professor Kay-Uwe Götz from the State Institute for Agriculture in Poing (Ebersberg district) points out that a CO2 tax would make food production even more expensive.

So far, this has not been seriously considered, because at the same time one would have to compensate for the rising food costs for poorer citizens.

"So that people who live in precarious circumstances cannot afford any milk, butter or meat at all." For this reason alone, it is unlikely that a CO2 tax will be implemented.

By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular Miesbach newsletter.

But Götz also puts the facts right.

If all ruminants were eliminated from the world, the temperature would drop by less than 0.1 degrees.

Every tenth has its effects – but removing all ruminants is completely unrealistic.

If you were to reduce inventory by just 20 to 40 percent, you could get maybe three to four hundredths of a degree.

"That's really little given the many positive effects of ruminants." After all, these animals would turn plant matter that is inedible for humans into high-quality food.

These are indispensable for feeding people in many parts of the world.

also read

Bottlenecks in the hospital: Chief physician describes the dramatic situation – "Decide every hour what is still possible"

Because no one gets there: Agip gas station in Hausham forced to close

No taxes on CO2 - but also no expansion of meat production

However, the production of meat must not be expanded any further, this exceeds the carrying capacity of the planet.

The scientist considers it reasonable to moderately reduce the consumption of beef in Germany.

Every citizen currently consumes an average of 55 kilograms of meat a year.

Consumers should follow the recommendation of the German Society for Nutrition and eat between 300 and 600 grams of meat and meat products per week - i.e. 16 to 32 kilos per year.

Meanwhile, a US company wants to produce real cow's milk, but without a cow.

The dairy products are to be developed in a laboratory.

Andreas Puchner, environmental officer of the Bavarian Farmers' Association, is surprised by the statement by the head of the Federal Environment Agency - because the agency itself does not see the implementation of a CO2 tax for cows as practicable.

It can only be implemented if it could be charged per kilo of meat or milk.

"That's simply impossible because the different types of husbandry - playpen, grazing, free-range husbandry - completely differ in terms of methane formation.

The methane value also varies depending on the type of feeding.”

So you would have to collect everything company-specifically.

"The costs would be so immense that it would be completely impractical." The farmers take the climate issue very seriously.

There is a breeding program with the aim of reducing emissions from dairy cattle or beef cattle.

In addition, feeding strategies are sought that are animal-friendly and serve the climate.

You can find more current news from the district of Miesbach and the Tegernsee region at Merkur.de/Miesbach.