German poultry industry warns against Mercosur agreement
The quality and safety of food on the EU market could suffer if the free trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur states is concluded. In the largest Mercosur country, Brazil, there are repeated scandals involving poor hygiene in slaughterhouses and inadequate controls on food safety. In addition, the agreement is in direct contradiction with standards for animal welfare and sustainability that apply in Germany and the EU. The social standards also do not meet EU standards.
Wolfgang Schleicher, Managing Director of the Central Association of the German Poultry Industry: "In the long term, the Mercosur agreement poses the risk that we in Europe and Germany will lose sovereignty and become dependent on food imports, even for such important and popular foods as poultry meat. That is the long-term risk. In the short term, almost immediately after the agreement comes into force, the European market could be flooded with cheap meat that does not meet EU standards. The EU is thus trampling on its own goals and efforts for more animal welfare and sustainability in the European food industry. Incidentally, also the wishes of the citizens of the EU."
The agreement could have devastating consequences for jobs and livelihoods in agriculture in Europe.
The entire European poultry sector has been working for many years, together with politicians, scientists and NGOs, to align the production of poultry meat with greater animal welfare and sustainability. EU citizens explicitly want high animal welfare and environmental standards in food production. The good progress that has been achieved jointly over the years is now seriously jeopardized by a possible Mercosur agreement.
"The EU has made climate protection a top priority. And poultry meat that does not meet EU standards is to be transported over many thousands of kilometers. That is not climate-friendly".
The free trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries does not find approval in Germany when it comes to food.
75 percent of the German population want all food imported into the EU to meet EU standards. More than 60 percent of respondents believe that food standards in South America are worse than those in the EU. This vote shows a clear picture against the Mercosur agreement on food.
For three quarters of those surveyed, it is important to consume food that was produced in Germany or the EU. Almost 80 percent of German citizens do not consider it justifiable from a climate perspective to transport poultry meat from South America to Germany and the EU.
"We warn against the Mercosur agreement in its current version. People in Germany also share our concerns. The survey results are very clear: the EU should put the agreement on ice, take its time and put the effects of this deal to the test", said Wolfgang Schleicher, Managing Director of the Central Association of the German Poultry Industry, on the survey results.
About the survey
Civey surveyed 2,500 German citizens aged 18 and over online for Deutsche Geflügelwirtschaft eV from December 3 to December 4, 2024. The results are representative due to quotas and weightings, taking into account the statistical error of 3.5 percentage points in the respective overall result.
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