Saxony-Anhalt's minister calls for radical reform of animal husbandry law!

Saxony-Anhalt's minister calls for radical reform of animal husbandry law!

There is currently a lot of excitement in Saxony-Anhalt about the new animal husbandry labeling law. Agriculture Minister Sven Schulze has taken a clear position and is calling for the law to be restarted. On July 11, 2025, Schulze emphasized that the planned extension until March 2026 was only an interim stop in order to fundamentally reform the existing law, which primarily applies to fresh pork. He criticized the fact that the current regulations do not create real transparency for consumers and at the same time cause enormous bureaucratic effort that is not realistically proportionate to the benefits for companies. Sachsen-Anhalt.de reports that there are significant deficiencies in the implementation, such as a lack of requirements for higher husbandry levels and the legally secure definition of important criteria.

Schulze also expressed that the interlocking labeling systems are not interlinked, which leads to problems with legal implementation. He sees the extension of the deadline as an opportunity to develop a concept that, in addition to improving animal welfare, must also take into account the practical suitability and financing of these measures. This demand was already raised at the Agriculture Ministers' Conference in March 2025, when the federal government asked for a postponement of the deadline because many affected companies rely on better structures.

The existing law and its adjustments

The Animal Husbandry Labeling Act, which came into force on August 24, 2023, is the subject of a lot of discussion. According to information from Bundestag a draft law amending this law was adopted on June 26, 2025. Coalition factions CDU/CSU and SPD voted for this bill, while the opposition factions voted against it. A proposal to maintain the existing labeling requirement for fresh pork was rejected by the Greens. The deadline for implementing the labeling requirement has now been extended to March 1, 2026 in order to give entrepreneurs sufficient time.

In the new regulation, all fresh pork products of German origin must be labeled from this point onwards. There are currently five husbandry levels, ranging from the legal minimum requirements to organic standards. The labeling aims to offer consumers more transparency about the conditions in which animals are kept, but there is criticism that this division mainly only takes into account the fattening phase and ignores other crucial points such as rearing and slaughter. Agriculture.de has found that the regulations for imported meat are rather lax, as labeling remains voluntary, while domestic products are subject to labeling requirements.

The way forward

The challenge now is to develop a coherent overall concept that not only promotes animal welfare, but also benefits businesses. Schulze wants to continue to advocate for an economically viable and animal welfare-oriented model of livestock farming. The numerous voices from the industry show that the topic of animal husbandry and the associated laws in Germany still need a lot of movement in order to meet the demands of everyone involved.

It remains to be seen how the discussion will develop and whether the required reforms will actually be implemented. The fact is that pressure on politicians is increasing and consumers are demanding more transparency and fairness.