Healthy agri­culture, sustai­nable food

Food is a basic need for our existence. Therefore, the way in which our food is produced deserves our undivided attention. Agriculture is not an industry and animals are not machines. Future-proof agriculture is mainly focused on plant-based food, free of pesticides, fertiliser or gentech and contributes to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Today's contemporary livestock farming is unsustainable.

The agricultural policy in many countries has made many victims over the years; billions of animals who suffer and die in the European livestock industry each year; nature and the environment that have been severely affected by the use of pesticides, fertiliser, and eutrophication.

The Western food supply is severely off balance, placing a huge and irresponsible burden on global resources and agricultural lands. That is partly caused by the mass import of cattle feed and by the use of fertiliser and agricultural chemicals in agriculture.

Small farm businesses in Europe were put on a disastrous road to grow more and more. All of this at the expense of the European taxpayer: tens of billions of euros are spent on agricultural subsidies on an annual basis, which particularly benefit large businesses.

A healthy, sustainable agricultural sector is only possible if we repair natural cycles and pay farmers a fair price for their products. We must also gain full insight into the origin of our food, how it is produced and whether the price covers the costs. The food chain must be short and open, in order to prevent tampering with food. Loss leader pricing of meat is unacceptable and we will fight food waste.

Our ultimate goal is ecological, animal-friendly agriculture that produces healthy food and is not dependent on imports at the expense of humans and animals elsewhere. This makes it inevitable that the number of animals in the livestock industry will be reduced and requires a switch to a more plant-based food pattern.