A sort ofA line is formed on the massager. A pig was standing under the yellow brush and rubbing its back. Several other people lay on the straw next door, squinting comfortably in the sun, waiting for their turn.
Elmar Schulze Heil smiled while standing on the edge of his high-end pig house on the Münsterland farm. “These animals can use their own brushes. This is really popular.” The other pigs across the street are in poor health: they stand on top of the concrete wall. At times, some daylight comes through the windows, and 10% more space than required by law means they are kept at level 2.
The farmer keeps half of his approximately two thousand pigs in these classic stables, and the other half gets fresh air, more space and straw. Schulze Heil started upgrading his pig farm as early as eight years ago. The farmer wants to continue. “We are on the right track, but we have not made it to the end because we still need to get approval from other stables. It is not easy,” he said.
The farmer is a supplier to the controversial Tönnies Group, which is the country’s largest meat producer. It represents the public’s dislike of everything about factory farming, but its consumer behavior shows that it is essential.He also has a boss, he is under the patriarchal leadership of the football club Schalke 04 At the same time, it represents glory and decline. Schulze Heil will show whether animal-friendly pig farming is feasible. Products accepted with customers.
There is a nature reserve less than one kilometer to the south, so no more emissions are allowed to arrive. If there are no walls in the pig house to bring the pigs into the fresh air, the ammonia in the pig house can easily enter the outside. Noise is added to the feeding time.
Level 4 is still an exception
The fifty-two-year-old farmer has invested a full 200,000 euros in the renovation, and he is also worried about whether he can recover his future expenses. If the price of each pig does not increase, then twice the space of the 4-story housing means half of the number of animals and half of the turnover. The farm has existed for more than twelve generations, and he didn’t want to be the last person to lock the barn door.
Level 3 and 4 animal-friendly animal husbandry is still an absolute niche market: according to the Tierwohl Initiative, which designs animal husbandry labels, they account for only 1.5% of sales. Two-thirds of the meat still comes from Level 1. This is just a matter of compliance with the legal minimum standards, and about 30% comes from Level 2.
It is politically and socially desirable to transform animal husbandry into more animal welfare. Obviously, this will be more expensive. It is not clear who will eventually pay. At the beginning of last year, a government committee recommended that consumers pay an extra 40 cents per kilogram at the checkout counter to fund barn renovations. The traffic light thinks it is uncertain.
