AfD on agriculture

The AfD wants to transfer agricultural policy from the EU back to the member states; within Germany, the federal states should be in charge. It considers funding via the EU cumbersome, expensive and contrary to the principle of subsidiarity.

Today the EU decides a lot about farming. The AfD wants to change that. Each country should decide for itself. In Germany, the federal states should be in charge.

In the party's view, domestic interests are hardly considered in EU agricultural policy. German tax money should not be used to subsidize farmers in other countries. In crop protection, too, the AfD wants to push back the EU's bureaucratic influence and keep established standards.

The AfD commits to small-scale farming and wants to permanently raise the level of self-sufficiency in staple foods. Organic and conventional farming should compete without a prescribed target quota. It wants to cut back regulations for farmers and consumers.

The AfD wants to support small farms. Bavaria should produce more of its own food. There should be no fixed quota for organic farming. Farmers should have fewer rules.

The program relies on technical progress and the market economy rather than bans. Food production should take priority over energy production, and farmland should not become an object of speculation for investors. Value chains should stay in the country and surpluses be exported. The AfD supports innovation in farming and horticulture as long as environmental and consumer protection are maintained. The party considers tethered housing of cows with summer pasture access well compatible with animal welfare.